Beautifully smooth, triumphant and transcendent. That is how you can best describe both Robert Glasper and J. Ivy’s Ravinia debuts that both took place on Wednesday evening Aug. 14, 2024. Inside of Ravinia Festival’s oldest building, Martin Theatre. That was first built in 1904. It’s the only building that remains in the park when Ravinia was first constructed and even used to be known as Ravinia Theatre.
Award-winning singer and songwriter, as well as Chicago native, Tarrey Torae, first took the stage with the band. Singing, she asked if Chicago was in the house and how they were feeling. Before introducing three-time GRAMMYs Award-winning poet, Peabody, Clio an NAACP Image Award-winning homegrown hero, J. Ivy. Who came out all decked in a black-and-white suit with matching black fedora ready to rock the stage. J. Ivy came out very energetically and triumphantly to Listen from his Grammy Award-winning album, The Poet Who Sat by the Door. The first album to win a Grammy in 2023 for the newly at the time category, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. Before so beautifully seguing into, I Need To Write.
J. Ivy would then introduce, Torae, before going into a very beautifully amazing performance would her and the band of, I Can’t Go. In the middle of the performance of the performance asking the packed intimate crowd, about seeing Stephen’s performance in the Olympics. J. Ivy would then ask if it was alright for him to tell stories and how he loves to cause of him being a poet. Right before he went into an amazing acapella performance of, Fire. That his band and Torae would join back in about halfway through the performance.
The multi-GRAMMYs Award-winning poet would then say how great it was to be performing in his hometown and seeing his brother, Sergio, in the front of the crowd. How cause of that it was almost like a family affair and then he would go into a very beautiful performance of, Lay Down. Then asking everyone in the crowd if they had ever been on a blind date before, the band would stop and Torae leave. As J. went into a very crazy acapella performance of a crazy twist-turning story called, Blind Date. That you had to really pay attention till the very end like J. Ivy himself said or you wouldn’t catch the very crazy twist-turning ending not many, if even would think it would be. By the end of the poem that definitely kept you on your toes listening to. Torae would join the stage again and the band start playing again as J. went into, Ride Out. The saxophone player going into a very amazing solo performance at the end of that right before going into a very beautifully smooth performance of, Stay In Your Lane.
Now halfway through the performance J. Ivy and Torae would tell the beautifully intimate crowd, “Chi-Town, Chicago make noise!” Before going into a very beautifully soulful rendition of, Off in Chicago. The audience clapping along and singing along to make the performance that much more special. Right before J. Ivy went into a very beautifully smooth and amazing acapella performance of, Here I Am. They would then segues beautifully into a very beautifully smooth solo performance from Tarrey Torae of, A Mile in His Soul. To show off her very own beautifully soulfully smooth and amazing vocals and voice. Then perfectly seguing into a very nimble, yet powerful performance of, Not of This World.
J. Ivy would then tell the crowd for about the second or third time of several throughout the night on how Chicago is the greatest city in the world. Tarrey Torae reiterating on how as much as they have both traveled the world together. There is no place like performing at home and how Chicago really is the greatest city in the world cause of how it builds character for anyone who grew up. No matter what field they are in town become legends or try to be legendary before going into a very beautifully soulful smooth amazing performance of, Legend.
J. Ivy getting close to the very end of his performance would then tell the story of how he got to be a part of Kanye West’s classic, Never Let You Down, record from his GRAMMY Award-winning groundbreaking classic debut solo album, The College Dropout. That features both him and Jay-Z. Making jokes about how Kanye was a little known producer from Chicago at the time and how not many probably knew him. Before making jokes about Jay and how not many people probably knew him cause of him being from New York and not Chicago and how he was a billionaire who had a beautiful wife, that he couldn’t remember that people probably didn’t know. Before a woman in the crowd yelled, “Beyoncé!” To cheers and which J. responded, “Yes!” Him continuing to make jokes about everyone and how John Legend who was known by his regular name, John Stephens sang background on the record and how he started calling him, “Legend” and it just stuck. So that was how John Legend got his stage name. J. Ivy after making several more jokes and how he first met, Tarrey Torae, who also sang background vocals on the record. Had the crowd feeling really good laughing along saying about how everyone probably knew the words to this record called, Never Let Me Down and if they did to sing along as they performed it. Both J. and Torae with the band giving a very triumphant and soulfully amazing performance of the record that everyone in the crowd fully sang along to with such joy and passion. J. Ivy giving an amazing acapella performance of his very powerful classic spoken word verse at the end.
The homegrown Chicago native would then as he was getting ready to end his very beautifully triumphant and transcendent performance introduce his band, The Lake Effect. Telling a story about John Legend again and how he performed last year at Ravinia the record at a show Legend did at Ravinia. That he would be closing the show with and was very special to him that he also got the legendary and great, Slick Rick the Ruler on as a guest feature too. Actually doing spoken word and poetry called, Running. That was off J. Ivy’s GRAMMY Award-winning album, The Poet Who Sat by the Door. Also explaining how it was the first award presented in 2023 at the time in the then newly created, Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, category. Also winning earlier this year for his latest album, The Light Inside. Making him also the only poet besides the late great Dr. Maya Angelou, to ever win a Grammy Award in the history of the GRAMMYs. J. Ivy’s beautifully amazing performance of, Running, with the band and Tarrey Torae. The perfect way to close out his very amazing hometown debut performance at Ravinia before the also multi-GRAMMYs Award-winning pianist, producer, songwriter and musical arranger, Robert Glasper, was set to take the stage with his very own Ravinia debut performance.
Glasper’s DJ, Jay Sundance, coming out to warmup the crowd for a few minutes before Robert came out a few minutes after nine. Drink in hand, his normal charismatic and goofy self ready to perform. He said how he was glad to be back in Chicago to perform and when it’s actually warm and nice out. “And not so damn cold!” Saying how he would be back for five shows at City Winery Chicago around December when it was cold. Joking that he would, “Have to ice skate to the shows.” Robert would then start off his performance with his very popular single, Black Superhero, off his Grammy Award-winning latest solo album, Black Radio III. Before going into the very popular F.T.B. Glasper had a nice little smooth chill vibe with Sundance and his drummer, bass and guitar player going throughout his set and performance. Besides his own material going through several covers of records like Kendrick Lamar’s, How Much a Dollar Cost, Hama’s, Khomeissa, Tears for Fears, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Radiohead’s classic, Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Box. Among several others. A standout part of the performance being when Sundance and Glasper performed, Everyone But You, from Jay Sundance’s 2021, Love Isn’t Enough EP. There was several points throughout his performance that Robert let his drummer and bass player show off their skills. The first really standout one being about 30 minutes into the set when his drummer, Justin Thomas, absolutely shredded his performance on drums for a good 10-15 minutes or so. That was by far one of the standout parts of not only Glasper’s set, but the whole night. Thomas also doing another pretty crazy one about 50 minutes into the set. For a good seven to eight minutes before Robert went into his own very beautifully smooth and amazing piano solo for nearly 10 minutes. Even getting a little churchy about midway through with his cover of JazzRak & Rafique’s, Believe in God.
Getting towards the end of his set Robert then bringing J. Ivy out who was now decked in a LDRS 1354 snap back and custom black, Everything Dop3 Happens In Chicago, t-shirt with jeans and Jordan’s. As with Glasper slowly playing piano alongside him, the multi-GRAMMYs Award-winning homegrown Chicago poet and artist gave a very smooth, yet powerful performance of his powerful spoken words piece, Dream BIG. That was inspired by the late great, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and he released as a single on MLK Day over a decade ago in 2012. The pairing of Robert and Ivy together making for a beautifully smooth and powerfully uplifting performance of the record. That me and many in the very intimate audience really enjoyed. Robert then saying after J. Ivy walked off stage how amazing both he and his wife, Tarrey Torae, were with their performance before his. So if everyone could clap for that, which they did. Also adding how they are both not only such amazing artists, but humans and people as well. Which sometimes people can be really great artists, but sh**ty as people. DJ Jay Sundance jokingly saying should Robert name names. To which he jokingly said he would and for everyone to pull out their cameras and/or start their videos on their phones to record. Saying he actually really wasn’t going to. The band and Sundance would then join in with Robert again to close out his performance, while he covered such records as Sqnc’s, Quasar and a few other records. Before bass player, Brandon Travis, would do a pretty amazing solo bass guitar performance for a good three to four minutes to close out the show. Robert once again thanking the audience for allowing him to perform and deliver such an amazing performance. While also thanking and giving shout outs to his DJ, Jay Sundance, Justin Thomas on drums, Travis on bass guitar and Chicago’s very own, Isaiah Sharkey on guitar. To really allow for such a transcendent and amazing performance.