[Patrick Jarenwattananon has written a thoughtful article and attentive summation of jazz and/as black and African American music in 2012, featuring discussions of Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, and Nicholas Payton, among others. -ML/TRoS]

Here’s an excerpt:

“With momentum behind the likes of Glasper and Spalding, and no shortage of young musicians in their wake, the free exchange behind the term Black American Music — if not necessarily the term itself — is likely to grow. Glasper himself appears on at least two genre-crossing Blue Note albums coming next year — one from the jazz-trained singer Jose James, who just made his own late-night TV debut, and another from jazz-trained bassist Derrick Hodge, who plays in Glasper’s Experiment band. And both Glasper and Spalding have been nominated for 2013 Grammy Awards, another mark of mainstream recognition.

In the historical view, jazz experiments from the hip-hop generation — or hip-hop from jazz-trained musicians – have been around for decades already. But now some of it is poised to merge into the mainstream of black popular music. So could any of this ever hit commercial radio?”

The whole article can be read here.