esperanza spalding

I love women that can sing. And I don’t mean just carry a tune, I mean chicks that can sang. The last time I was floored by a female solo performance was earlier this year at an Alice Smith concert at the Highline Ballroom. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Ms. Smith’s smoky, folksy rendition of R&B, please do yourself a favor and Google her.

Ironically, this same venue hosted jazz prodigy Esperanza Spalding last night, yet another fly young lady with a voice and stage presence that’ll make you wanna plant trees and kiss babies and just be happy all day. She’s a 23-year-old bassist and vocalist whose classical music pursuits were sparked after watching Yo Yo Ma perform on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. She’s been honored for being the “Youngest Ever” this and that, played with incredible instrumentalists, and has released two albums, the latest of which, Esperanza, came out in May of this year. Let me tell you, hearing this woman through your headphones and hearing her live, are two totally different experiences.

Her voice is a dazzling mimic of a piano riff and a wailing soprano sax, and the girl can scat like it’s nobody’s business. During her nearly two-hour set, she switched between the double and acoustic bass, completely entranced in her compositions. The only time she came up for air was to flirt with the crowd and delight us with anecdotes about her travels and how “Precious” on Esperanza was a failed attempt at attracting a pop audience. Her Portuguese melodies were mesmerizing; duets with the pianist were beyond beautiful, and after a few glasses of wine, I got teary-eyed when she wrapped up the evening with “I Adore You.” Yeah, it was like that. It’s always invigorating to hear music that you relate to; to truly feel sound. Jazz is the classical soundtrack to my culture, but typically conjures images of legends long gone or baby boomers out for Sunday brunch. Esperanza Spalding’s presence brings something fresh to a scene that’s a little watered down and, in my opinion, could usher in a new generation of jazz enthusiasts. Her contributions could potentially sharpen the ears of ringtone pop fans and raise the bar for the quality of mass-produced music. Maybe I’m a little too excited. Any thoughts?