Good morning.

Today we're listening to Derrick Hodge, bassist and composer from Philadelphia. He’s on Blue Note Records and plays bass in the Robert Glasper Experiment. We’re listening to his solo albums, which demonstrate his proficiency across many genres, especially jazz, funk, and hip-hop. His pieces are beautifully meandering, highly sampleable, and almost entirely vocal-free. Hodge first learned electric bass in elementary school, and then taught himself upright using electric techniques. His album The Second, from 2016, opens with a jam that recalls the coda of Kanye's "Runaway," but has… better musicianship. It's followed by an eclectic set of tracks, several of which create contemplative spaces that bass, guitar, and string riffs float through. 2013’s Live Today is even more wide-ranging in genre, but the throughline is Hodge’s masterful playing and arrangement.

The Second by Derrick Hodge (50m) Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Tidal

Live Today by Derrick Hodge (60m, 🗣 on the tracks with features) Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Tidal

Enjoy today.

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