Kobalt Music Publishing Signs Jazz and R&B Superstars, Robert Glasper and Chuck Harmony
Kobalt Music Publishing, Inc., the leading independent music publishing and global music rights management services company, today announced it has signed worldwide administration agreements with two of jazz and R&B’s most prominent and talented artists respectively, Robert Glasper and Charles T. Harmon, a.k.a. “Chuck Harmony.” Under this new agreement, Kobalt Music Publishing will administer and provide publishing and sync licensing services for both artists worldwide.
Robert Glasper’s worldwide publishing agreement covers all previous works and includes his most recent album release, Covered (The Robert Glasper Trio Recorded Live At Capitol Studios). Chuck Harmony’s agreement covers all works (past, present and future) and includes his latest project, Masterpiece Theater – Act 1 –EP, the first in a series of Louis York collaborative projects with his creative partner, Claude Kelly.
Robert Glasper is a uniquely talented and widely-respected R&B and jazz musician. Known for his exceptional skills as a pianist, Glasper was recently referred to as “hip-hop’s go-to jazzman” by Pitchfork and is the winner of two GRAMMY awards: Best R&B Album, Black Radio (2013) and Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Jesus Children” with Lalah Hathaway and Malcom Jamal Warner (2015). After infusing rock into his sound with his 2013 album, Black Radio, he maintains his signature eclecticism and has incorporated his acoustic jazz roots in his newly released album, Covered featuring cross-genre collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Musiq Soulchild, John Legend and Bilal alongside the jazz standard “Stella By Starlight.”
Chuck Harmony is a seasoned musician and producer having worked with some of the most elite artists including Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Janet Jackson, John Legend, Rihanna and Ne-Yo. In 2014, Harmony began collaborating with Claude Kelly on music production; the duo formed the group, Louis York and music collective, Weirdo Workshop that same year. Individually and as duo, Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony have created smash hit singles for superstars like Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Ne-Yo, Olly Murs, Christina Aguilera and a veritable who’s who of the Billboard Pop Charts. Their songs have sold more than 25 million copies to date, blanketed radio airwaves around the world, garnered multiple Grammy and Billboard nominations and dominated the international song charts.
Sas Metcalfe, President of Global Creative at Kobalt, said, “Both Robert Glasper and Chuck Harmony are brilliant musicians and producers; Robert Glasper is a legend in his own right on the piano, and Chuck Harmony is a master of collaboration. Whether they are working on jazz, R&B, hip-hop or merged sounds, they bring veteran-level skill and creativity to Kobalt. We are honored to have them.”
Al “Butter” McLean, Kobalt, SVP of Creative adds, “Robert Glasper and Chuck Harmony are both genius songwriters who are leading the music revolution of tomorrow. We are excited to add these two visionaries to our prolific Kobalt roster.
Robert Glasper stated, "I am thrilled to join the Kobalt Music Publishing family. I have much respect for their team and their passion for music. As an ever developing musician, composer and producer, I am interested in working with people who are engaged, who are visionary and who can support their artists in achieving their goals. Kobalt has given that to me, and I look forward to my future with them.
Chuck Harmony stated, "I'm so super-duper excited about the new chapter in my musical journey, and now I have found my partner in Kobalt Music Publishing! We’re about to make a profound impact on the musical landscape of pop culture together, and we look forward to sharing those musical efforts with the world. A special thanks to Al ‘Butter’ McLean and all of my new family and friends at Kobalt for believing in me and my dreams."