Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington: ‘Dinner Party: Dessert’
By: Matthew Ritchie
Tags: Music, Album Review, Hip Hop, Jazz

Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Kamasi Washington: ‘Dinner Party: Dessert’

The remixed edition of the self-titled album from the production supergroup invites an eclectic set of collaborators that serve to contribute to the comfortable atmosphere created by their crossover jazz stylings. Matthew Ritchie Oct 16, 2020·4 min read

When Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder, and Kamasi Washington announced the arrival of their first collaborative album Dinner Party back in June, the conglomeration of their production styles garnered excitement and anticipation for all of the possibilities that could unfold. Each artistic giants in their own right, the dizzying array of elements that each expert could introduce spanned the lines of Jazz, R&B, Soul, and Hip-Hop, necessitating a delicate touch to combine the styles. And they pulled it off without a hitch as Martin’s instrumental versatility, Glasper’s prowess on the piano, and Washington’s smooth delivery on the saxophone were tied perfectly together by 9th Wonder’s production expertise.

After letting the original version of the album breathe, largely free of vocal elements save for the occasional appearance from Phoelix, the supergroup returned with a second installment of the album. Dinner Party: Dessert takes the comfortable feeling of the original album and morphs it into a family affair, inviting an eclectic set of collaborators who somehow match flawlessly onto the crossover jazz background. It’s an exhibition of the power and chemistry the masters of their craft show as they weave in and out of genres with ease, rarely missing a beat as the talented features stack up.

Much of the allure of this album stems from the inability to find gaps in quality between each show from the artists. Martin, Glasper, Washington & 9th Wonder all do the heavy-lifting throughout the album as if they’re trying to continually outshine the rest, bringing the best with each track. The opener “Sleepless Nights” begins with a lonely saxophone powered by Washington, acting as a quaint soliloquy to ease the listener into the sound of the album. As Buddy’s voice jumps onto the track with his insomniac musings, the full strength of the supergroup arrives like an orchestra waiting in the wings. Martin’s upbeat drumming propels the tune along as Glasper’s delicate piano assistance provides sparse moments of relaxation across the background.

There’s a strange, beautiful mechanism at work with the features on this project: the seemingly random assortment of artists never feels out of place or out of touch. It’s as if they completed the previously unattainable feat of mixing friends from different parts of your life, bypassing the awkwardness of trying to plug people where they don’t belong. “Love You Bad” introduces Los Angeles-based vocalist Malaya into the fold, as she nestles comfortably onto a 9th Wonder beat that could have been ripped straight from The Minstrel Show archives. She steals the show from Phoelix’s original vocals, captivating the listener with a balance between powerful runs and sweet crooning. The lead single “Freeze Tag” includes a Cordae verse that allows him to cosplay as a spoken word poet against a light and breezy background. Whether his inclusion was necessary is irrelevant: the influence of Washington’s sax helps to subdue any of the grating aspects of the verse.

The entropy of the assortment of features produces a bunch of little moments that become beautiful memories in an instant. “The Mighty Tree” draws most of its strength from the ever-consistent flow of Rapsody but takes advantage of a brief section from Herbie Hancock. The iconic synth bass from the legend capitalizes on nostalgia and its inherent groove sound to elevate the track as it fades out, working in concerto with strong drums and sax elements. “First Responders” wakes two sleeping giants in the form of Top Dawg Entertainment’s Punch and Bilal, combining dreamy background vocals and braggadocious bars in textbook fashion. The beat switch halfway through shines the spotlight back onto the producers’ prowess, as the loop surrounds you in a sphere of serenity based on the core jazz elements.

On the surface, it could be argued that the supergroup just assigned names to a dartboard to grab collaborators for this set of remixes. This may be what happened. The closer “LUV U” calls upon Snoop Dogg and crooner Alex Isley, a duo that nobody has thought to combine by before. But of course, it’s pulled off. It’s a testament to the inertia of their crossover jazz sound to allow any verse to be applied and feel like the missing puzzle piece. Each track feels familiar and personal, like an old friend that you’ve been waiting to see for years. They captured the essence of comfort and camaraderie like few others could.