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Glasper comes with a heavyweight pedigree. His first album Mood gave jazz a fresh injection, offering among many very good tracks an incredible version of ‘Maiden Voyage’ (a feat repeated here with a skillful coupling with Radiohead’s ‘Everything In Its Right Place’). He’s been courted by the likes of Bilal, Q-Tip and Mos Def (who he has shared a stage with) and his last album Canvas offers one of the decade’s best albums, jazz or otherwise.

In My Element offers a common currency between the young ‘beat’ lovers’ generation (loosely defined as J Dilla inspired beats and championed by the most exciting DJ at the moment: Andrew Meza), jazz heads and the nu-jazz crowd (the latter have a scene which is in strong danger of imploding); Radio 1’s Gilles Peterson has championed Glasper since 2004 and as a figurehead for nu-jazz, his patronage for a jazz artist should be recommendation enough.

But there is much more to Glasper than appealing to wide section of the underground cognoscenti. In My Element is an album which draws from a rich jazz tradition, is open to the sounds of current radio and in tune with movements on the street. Mix all three and the result is something like “F.T.B” a work of soft, beautiful strokes over clean canvas. Its infectious sweet like piano refrain is as pleasant as early morning birdsong, or a first kiss from a loved one. ‘J Dillalude’ is its equal, a breathtaking mix of contemporary jazz and quality hip hop, which is both a tribute and ode to the late, great J Dilla (aka Jay Dee).

The album is earmarked with some tight J Dilla type drums which emerge at the beginning and at the end of odd tracks. Along with the engaging bass, they offer a common thread through the album.

Two minutes and ten seconds into ‘J Dillalude’, Glasper throws down a master stroke twisting along a jazz route of such grace and beauty, that you immediately hit the backward search button. It is easy to forget the other tracks with such standouts but you shoudn’t. ‘One for ‘Grew’ (a tribute to the great pianist Mulgrew Miller), ‘Beatrice’ and ‘Silly Rabbit’ are head and shoulders above anything else out there.

As I was saying , two minutes ten seconds into the track ‘J Dillalude’…….