Like so many other musicians out of Philadelphia, bassist Derrick Hodge is comfortable playing straight-ahead jazz, electric funk, and hip-hop grooves. All one needs to do is listen to his work in The Robert Glasper Experiment, or trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard’s band, or his recordings with the rapper Common (who appears here on the title track). Hodge sticks closer to the Glasper Experiment end of things on his debut, with tunes that often have a postmodern take on funk and electric jazz. Standout tracks like the weirdly psychedelic “Boro March” and “The Real” are densely wrought tapestries that are obvious studio confections. Yet there’s also impromptu playfulness in “Table Jam” and even singer/songwriter–style aspirations in “Holding on to You,” illustrating how creatively engaged this young musician is with the world around him. No doubt Hodge has a creative vision that should serve him well for years to come, and Live Today is one of the most promising jazz debuts in recent years.