One more important upshot from last night’s iTunes Festival at the Roundhouse, before hunkering down for the next wave of gigs, is definitely worth recalling. Robert Glasper, typically generous with his bandstand and genuinely collectively-inclined, let drop extra detail of some recent news that the Experiment bassist Derrick Hodge standing on the far left of the stage and newly signed to Blue Note will release (as Derrick’s nods and bright smile confirmed) his debut for the label in early-2013.

Titled Live Today the electric bassist’s website adds more information about what’s to come on the release, a record likely to add to this highly tasteful and imaginative player’s wider fanbase. "Live Today”, says Hodge, “is the way I chose to begin my story as a solo artist. It is a melting pot of sound and emotions, and is how I decided to capture my thoughts at that moment in time. There were many directions that this record could have went, but I chose to give people what was on my mind in a very raw, unedited way. Live Today is about acceptance, being in the moment while paying respect to those that came before me, and about writing music that feels good to me."

The Experiment’s set-list last night included a knowing take on Floetry’s ‘Say Yes’, knowing, as Glasper explained because the band had played the song many times before yet Glasper himself as he fessed up did not know who the bassist was until Hodge volunteered “that was a fun session". The cut appeared on the original multi-platinum selling album Floetic released by the UK R&B duo a decade ago.

Hodge besides the Experiment has performed with Maxwell, Common, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Kanye West, Sade and Terence Blanchard, also works as a film composer, and has written a piece for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Last night’s gig included a song of Hodge’s, ‘Holding on to You’ performed by singer/guitarist Alan Hampton.

Stephen Graham

Derrick Hodge pictured