Austin City Limits’ (ACL) Season 49 second half continues with a new hour spotlighting a pair of acts steering jazz in new directions: five-time Grammy Award-winner Robert Glasper, newly-nominated for a pair of 2024 Grammy Awards, brings his celebrated Black Radio series to life on the ACL stage joined by Grammy-decorated special guests; sharing the hour is eclectic, next-generation jazz duo DOMi and JD BECK, nominated for a 2023 Best New Artist Grammy; making their ACL debut with songs from their debut NOT TiGHT. The new installment premieres January 20 at 7pm CT/8pm ET as part of the series Season 49. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. The show’s official hashtag is #acltv.
The program, produced by Austin PBS and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 49 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. Austin City Limits celebrates 50 years as a live music beacon in 2024: on October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson taped the pilot episode and the trailblazing series premiered in 1975. Stay tuned for news on special concerts, fan events and activations as Austin City Limits salutes an incredible legacy of 50 golden years of American musical history and iconic performances.
Keyboardist Robert Glasper operates on parallel paths, one in which he’s one of the most celebrated jazz pianists of the last two decades, and the other in which he’s an acclaimed R&B producer and bandleader. An in-demand collaborator, he is the musician of choice for some of the world’s most iconic artists, notably playing keys throughout Kendrick Lamar’s landmark 2015 To Pimp A Butterfly. Combining his passions, his genre-shattering Black Radio series racked up multiple Grammy Awards, and found the Houston native collaborating with singers and rappers from across the musical spectrum. Glasper is joined for this performance by a trio of featured artists including R&B singers Emily King and Yebba, alongside rapper D Smoke, accompanied by his three-piece band of bass, drums and DJ. 2024 Grammy-nominee King takes the stage for the soulful ballad “What Love Can Do.” Glasper improvises a fleet-fingered piano intro that leads into “Shine,” from his Black Voices III, 2023’s Grammy-winner for Best R&B Album, as D Smoke delivers a shining verse. Grammy-winning Yebba takes the stage for the majestic “Over,” accented by funky grooves; King and Smoke add harmonies and freestyle rapping. Yebba makes the song’s refrain, “Hoping that this love ain’t over,” soar from hook to mantra, as the ensemble ends the set to wild applause from the crowd.
As with any other venerable musical tradition, jazz welcomes the occasional shake-up. Mixing hip-hop inspired rhythms, lush chordings, and a singular sense of style, DOMi & JD BECK are the latest act to combine twenty-first century energy with old school improvisation. Featuring their acclaimed debut album NOT TiGHT as the centerpiece of a sparkling set, the irreverent pair bring virtuoso technique, accessible melodies, and an impish sense of humor to their ACL debut. Doubling on piano and keyboard, Paris-born DOMi and Dallas-native drum ace BECK perform highlights including the effervescent title track. The duo’s music finds both humor and greatness in harmonic complexity, rhythmic shiftiness, and speed.
“Once again – as seems to happen every few years – jazz is experiencing a renaissance with a new generation of artists and fans,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Robert Glasper already has a reputation as a genius musician/producer/composer/collaborator, and DOMi and JD BECK bring a youthful energy and rebellious spirit to a sound that is truly all their own.”
Robert Glasper setlist:
What Love Can Do (w/Emily King)
Shine (w/D Smoke)
Over (w/D Smoke, Emily King & Yebba)
DOMI and JD BECK:
Whatup
Smile
Bowling
Not Tight
You Don’t Have to Rob Me
Medley: Thank You/Sniff
Season 49 Broadcast Schedule (Second Half):
January 13 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors John Prine
January 20 Robert Glasper | DOMi and JD BECK
January 27 Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
February 3 Tanya Tucker | Brittney Spencer
February 10 Noah Kahan | Flor de Toloache
February 17 Alanis Morissette
February 24 Bonnie Raitt
March 2 Austin City Limits 9th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Trisha Yearwood
Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 50 tapings, live streams and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter, IG and TikTok. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.
Austin City Limits
Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 49th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012. ACL celebrates 50 years as an American music institution in 2024.
Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.