It’s not often a new talent completely consumes me, but last Tuesday, Paul Shaffer referred to Esperanza Spalding as the “best thing that has ever been on this stage.” I couldn’t agree more.
As a night owl, I’m a fan of late-night televisions, especially the David Letterman show. This show is a great resource for new bands and music as Letterman and Shaffer know how to pick them out of the new crop of players that continually to surface. This was never more true than Tuesday night when Esperanza performed “Precious” on her network television debut.
Her name, “Espernaza” is the same as the Spanish word for “Hope” and my oh my, this young 23-year old prodigy is a delightful discovery for anyone who loves jazz, salsa and Brazilian forms of music.
It’s a bit strange to watch a young women like this play an upright bass, but she makes it look easy and it’s no prop. This young lady is an incredible jazz player and her backup band is smokin’ and one of the best new jazz sounds to come along in years.
My friends who have heard a few cuts insist her voice sounds like Nora Jones, but I disagree. After listening to her debut album, it’s clear there’s a lot more here than style. Spalding has a versatile voice and the music is way beyond the ordinary too. No three-chord blues here and her lyrics are insightful, well-crafted ideas amid a hot jazz group with players that deserve their own attention too.
The new recording is a rollercoaster of pitch, reeling with improvisational scat and unexpected turns. The music behind her and the song construction is a refreshing shower of joy too.
A native of Oregan and a graduate of Berklee School of Music, Spalding is staged for a meteoric ascent to stardom. She also travels around the world with some of the greatest players on the jazz scene. Most recently she was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered, she graced the front cover of Bass Player magazine and happens to be one of the youngest faculty members at Berklee.
She’s got a busy schedule with appearances all over the planet too and it would be a thrill to catch her live, but in the meantime, I’m loving this new album and this shining new star. When people tell me music is not what it used to be – they’re right! It’s better than ever before and Esperanza is truely “hope” for a new generation.
“Hope” for the future – Esperanza Spalding
