February 28th will mark the release of one of the best albums of this year, Black Radio by the Robert Glasper Experiment. We are beyond thrilled to be hosting the album release show (also on February 28th) at the Highline Ballroom. If you remember anything about the special guest lineup for the album, you already know it’s going to be a night for the books. Find more details further down in this post.

Also, on February 29th Rob and the crew will be getting down on the CBS Late Show With David Letterman with special guests Lupe Fiasco and Bilal. It, too, will be a fine evening.

Enter our contest to win tickets to one of several national tour dates, including the NYC release show!

Event Details
Robert Glasper Experiment’s Black Radio Album Release Show
w/ Special Guests Chrisette Michele, DJ ?uestlove, Lalah Hathaway & more

Highline Ballroom
New York, NY

All Ages

Tickets: $35.00 advance / $40.00 day of show
Purchase tickets

General Admission Standing Room
First come, first seated

Limited seating available
Full dinner menu available

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Tour Dates
February 9, Olin Arts Center, Lewiston, ME (Robert Glasper Trio)
February 10, Jazz Bistro, St. Louis, MO (Robert Glasper Trio)
February 11, Jazz Bistro, St. Louis, MO (Robert Glasper Trio)
February 16, Mansion at Strathmore, Bethesda, MD (solo)
February 17, Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, AB (Robert Glasper Experiment)
February 19, West End Cultural Center, Winnipeg, MB (Robert Glasper Experiment)
February 23, Black Box Theater, Baton Rouge, LA (Robert Glasper Experiment)
February 24, Montreal Highlights Festival, Montreal, QB (Robert Glasper Experiment)
February 27, WNYC Soundcheck, New York, NY (Robert Glasper Experiment with Bilal)
February 28, Highline Ballroom, New York, NY (Robert Glasper Experiment with guests)
February 29, CBS Late Show With David Letterman, New York, NY (Robert Glasper Experiment with Lupe Fiasco & Bilal)
March 1, World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 2, Kessler Theater, Dallas, TX (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 3, Red Cat, Houston, TX (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 4, Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA (Robert Glasper Experiment with Chrisette Michele)
March 6, Regatta Bar, Boston, MA (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 8, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 9, Charles H. Wright Museum, Detroit, MI (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 10, Double Door, Chicago, IL (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 11, Minglewood Hall, Memphis, TN (Robert Glasper Experiment)
March 17, The New Parish, Oakland, CA (Robert Glasper Experiment with Bilal)
March 18, Brick & Mortar, San Francisco, CA (Robert Glasper Experiment with Bilal)
March 20, Anthology, San Diego, CA (Robert Glasper Experiment with Bilal)
March 22, The Exchange, Los Angeles, CA (Robert Glasper Experiment with Bilal)
March 23, Neumos, Seattle, WA (Robert Glasper Experiment with Bilal)
March 30, Casbah Durham @ Duke Performances, Durham, NC (Robert Glasper Trio)
March 31, Casbah Durham @ Duke Performances, Durham, NC (Robert Glasper Trio)
April 3, Warner Theatre, Washington, DC (Robert Glasper Experiment)

Based on Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip To The Moon), the classic silent film by Georges Méliès in 1902, French duo AIR have created a full album inspired by the film. The result is a stunning body of cinematic instrumentals, adding an eerie, otherworldly life to Méliès’ work, which is already full of so much character, color, and peculiarity.

Purchase Le Voyage Dans La Lune on iTunes | Amazon

Enter our contest to win Le Voyage Dans La Lune

Air – “Seven Stars”

Air – “Parade”

Air – “Sonic Armada”

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Megaproducer Ski Beatz will be releasing Twilight on February 14th and we are pretty much beside ourselves with this trailer. Woven along with the silky jazz sonics are visuals of Curren$y, Stalley, Smoke DZA, Mikey Rocks, Da$h, Tabi Bonney, and other guest collaborators. Really hoping he releases an instrumentals only version as well!

Also later this month, February 22nd, join Ski for his album release party in NYC!

Event Details
Ski Beatz 24Hr Karate School Presents Twilight
Performances by Ski Beatz and The Senseis, CPlus, Rugz D.Bewler, Da$h, McKenzie Eddy, Sean O’Connell + more.

February 22, 2012
10PM

Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St
New York, NY

Tickets: $10
Purchase tickets

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AIR – Le Voyage Dans La Lune

Contest Expires: March 3rd, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST

Enter to win

Answer the question below correctly for your chance to win. Email address must be valid to win. By entering, you will be added to the Giant Step mailing list. One entry per person per contest. Entries will be randomly selected after the contest expiration date. For complete contest rules, click here

Lana Del Rey – Born To Die

Contest Expires: Feb 28th, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST

Enter to win

Answer the question below correctly for your chance to win. Email address must be valid to win. By entering, you will be added to the Giant Step mailing list. One entry per person per contest. Entries will be randomly selected after the contest expiration date. For complete contest rules, click here

K’NAAN – More Beautiful Than Silence

Contest Expires: Feb 24th, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST

Enter to win

Answer the question below correctly for your chance to win. Email address must be valid to win. By entering, you will be added to the Giant Step mailing list. One entry per person per contest. Entries will be randomly selected after the contest expiration date. For complete contest rules, click here

The famed Red Bull Music Academy will be hosting three back to back events with some New York musical legends to celebrate the application phase for this year’s program. For those unfamiliar, RBMA is an international music workshop held in a different city each year. In 2011, musicians were brought to Madrid, this year the Academy will be held in New York City.

See below for details all the awesomeness to ensue!

Also, be sure to enter our contest to win a free pair of tickets!

Event Details
The Gary Bartz Project with featured guests Bilal & Aloe Blacc
Wednesday, January 25th
8:30pm @ Yoshi’s San Francisco
1330 Fillmore St.
Purchase tickets

The Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show (+ DJ Shortkut)
Thursday, January 26th
10pm @ Mighty SF
119 Utah St.
Purchase tickets

Masters at Work: Kenny Dope & Little Louie Vega
Friday, January 27th
10pm @ 103 Harriet
1015 Folsom St.
Purchase tickets

LA, gear up for some sexy time with John West and some very special guests compliments of VIBE. Reminise to “Lovely” and other tunes from John’s self titled EP as we ready ourselves for his upcoming debut album, which will be sure to delight.

Enter our contest to win tickets to the show!

Event Details
VIBE Presents John West
+ Jon Mcxro, Tiron & Ayomari, Tha Boogie
Wednesday, January 25

Doors: 7:30 PM
Show: 8:00 PM

The Roxy
9009 W.Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, CA

Advance Tickets: $15
Purchase tickets

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The first Next Step contest for the new year is now open! January 2012 marks our seventh installment and we are so ready for all your freshness.

To date, we’ve featured Tara Priya in July, Iman Williams in August, Tall Black Guy Productions in September, Cole Williams for October, Tensei for November, and Awalé for December. Some lovely singers, boundary pushing producers, and a band with some serious international groove.

The winner will receive an “Artist Spotlight” feature post on the Giant Step website, and up to $1,000 in Giant Step Marketing services!

Please note that we are accepting submissions from anyone that makes music – producers, singers, instrumentalists, rappers, and bands alike are all welcome.

This month, we are accepting submissions from today until Tuesday, January 31st. That said, we are now open for January 2012 entries!

Submit your music for consideration!

Congratulations to Awalé for being our December 2011 Next Step winner! The diversity of music that we have come in for this contest is impressive, and we are so excited to present a winner with such eclectic international influences like Awalé’s.

Awalé is a true testament to London’s diversity, with members from Tunisia, Cuba, France, Slovakia and England. Similarly, the sound is vivid and textured, skirting genre lines as it touches on Afrobeat, Balkan music, North African amazigh music, Congolese rhumba, Ethiopian funk, and Latin jazz.

Awalé’s debut album Just Have To Grow released in November 2011 and is incredibly pleasing to our ears. Co-produced by Nick Page (Dub Colossus), most of the album was recorded live in one room over the course of just two days. Preview the entire album below and experience the amazingness yourself. And you absolutely must watch the live performance video above as well – truly heartening music.

Londoners are encouraged to support the album launch, which will be a special all-star gig on March 14th at Hoxton Bar and Kitchen. Tour dates will follow in the spring.

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