It’s been a busy two years for genre-bending singer Bilal. After a decade hiatus from recording, he released two albums in 2024: Bilal: Live at Glasshaus, where he was joined by some of his long-time collaborators, pianist Robert Glasper and rapper Common; and Adjust Brightness, which features fresh and thought-provoking new material.
On the heels of his performance at the 2025 Earshot Jazz Festival, Bilal visited the KNKX studios for a dynamic and intense performance of several songs from Adjust Brightness. Utilizing a blend of jazz, funk, soul, and rock, Adjust Brightness inhabits a unique sonic niche and combines introspective lyrics, addictive instrumentation, and Bilal's voice, which bends and contorts like a yo-yo.
Bilal’s captured audiences worldwide with his stage presence, akin to that of the legendary musician James Brown, and voice that's bigger than his physical stature. Sure enough, the spell was cast on our studio audience during his session.
Bilal and his band opened with the laid-back, post-psychedelic song, "Evr Chngin Nrml." Backed by the hard pound of Joseph Grissett's bass drum, Bilal’s lyrics were like streams of consciousness as he took audiences into a world of karmic influences, love, and the loneliness that comes with life's constant evolutions.
On the next tune, "Tell Me," the band provided an effortlessly groovy underpinning for the straight-ahead R&B tune with lyrics that can be read as a Shakespeare poem. Bilal crooned as he simply asked his lover what their heart desired.
Bilal and company wrapped the session with "Quantum Universe," a rock and roll opera with hints of reggae. The song felt like the perfect soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic film, as Bilal took an honest, but hopeful look at humanity and the power of manifestation, singing the lyrics “you are what you believe.”
Soulful, sensual and tirelessly innovative, Bilal’s studio session is a must-listen.
Musicians:
- Bilal Oliver, vocals
- Conley Whitfield, Jr., bass
- Randall Runyon, guitar
- Joseph Grissett, drums
Songs:
- "Evr Chngin Nrml"
- "Tell Me"
- "Quantum Universe"
