16 tgmlink.com | December 2008

Flex Your SensesBeyond the LinksR

EVIE

WS

Devoted fans caught a glimpse of Esperanza

Spalding’s network television debut on The Late Show

with David Letterman. Throngs of YouTube loyalists

watch videos of her charming frenzied audiences

in Philadelphia, Montreal and Copenhagen. Music

outlets have extensive waiting lists for her album.

Radio personalities crown the virtuoso bassist the

new “hope” of the jazz world. Mass appeal of this

magnitude would make some artists fold under pressure, or turn a quiet

personality into a monstrous ego. Yet, distinguishing the power of her

music from the hype surrounding her image allows Esperanza Spalding to

keep it all in perspective.

“I have an image that works right now and that has nothing to do with

my music,” Spalding says. “The interest may be for my look, my face, or

my story, but the music is something else. One day this attention will be

solely for my music and that day I’ll be grateful.” Granted, her looks may

force many to do a double take, but her dazzling array of skills as a band

leader keeps the faithful in attendance at her shows. Nowhere was this more

evident than at the 2008 J&R Musicfest in New York.

The open-aired Gramercy Park venue in Manhattan was packed with fans

holding copies of her album. Spalding’s vocal range, at times, mirrored

her double bass or rose to a siren-like tone that echoed above the bustling

Friday afternoon traffic across the Brooklyn Bridge. As she performed Nina

Simone’s ‘Wild is the Wind’, she was hunched over, eyes closed, practically

amalgamated with her double bass. Chord after chord, she gracefully played

a solo that left the crowd awe-struck.

The energy of her live shows reflects her systematic preparation in the

studio. “Coming into it, I was so adamant about a vision and a concept for

the sound,” Spalding recollects. “I wanted to make sure the compilation of

songs, and the way that we arranged and played them, was something that

people from all different musical backgrounds and tastes would be able to

appreciate.”

Esperanza is a vibrant set of compositions the band played during its live

sets. “Out of the 50-60 songs we’ve developed over the year, it was basically

editing the 12 we wanted that fit with the sound we were trying to go for,”

Spalding explains. Prior to recording, Spalding dealt with questions from

management and the record label concerned with the project’s theme,

image, and overall sound. “I think one reason why they were onboard with

what I’m doing is because a lot of it is already done,” she recalls. “I spend a

great deal of time trying to cultivate an objective with my music and they

know that I am always working to try and improve that.” Her album took

a grand total of eight days - five recording and three mixing - to complete.

This may sound like the makings of a hurried product, but each piece is well-

produced without missing a single moment of greatness.

The album opens with her interpretation of Milton Nascimento’s ‘Ponta

de Areia’ from his album Minas and Wayne Shorter’s classic Native Dancer.

Nascimento’s uncanny ability to jump from baritone to lyric tenor in a

moment’s notice is legendary. “Something about that melody is so young,

but so ancient. I thought that would be a good way to start the record,” says

Spalding. A driving groove between the double bass and piano lays the

foundation for the entire song. This melody is effortlessly complimented by

the angelic vocals of Spalding and Gretchen Parlato. Percussionist Jamey

Beyond the ImageEsperanza Spalding’s Self-Titled New Release Outshines the HypeBy Laurence Bass

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