Esperanza Spalding: Part Two

Esperanza  Spalding’s  “Chamber  Music Society” tour stropped in Roanoke a few Thursday nights ago. She thrilled, amazed and transported the area’s lovers of music and live performance to places that only the greatest artists can achieve. She played to a crowd that covered a large demographic range; all ages were represented. There is good music and there is really good music. Esperanza belongs to the latter and she is rare in today’s music climate. She has been blessed with every gift: she sings like an angel, plays like a demon, composes, arranges, and has stage presence that pulls everything together like a great maestro. Imagine through some miracle of nature or science that Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Leonard Bernstein and Yo-Yo Ma were composited into one incredible talent. Throw in the vocals of Minnie Ripperton and you have some idea of the Spalding phenomenon.

Spalding has performed at the White House, the Nobel Presentation Ceremony, The Letterman Show and on PBS’s Austin City Limits. Cities from New York to Paris to London to Cape Town are on her itinerary.  It’s only natural that she would want to be at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke Va. We were very fortunate to have her in the area. Coming off her wonderful Grammy win and seeing her at what is essentially the beginning of a career is a thing to treasure. Her’s is a career that is certain to be legend. I am completely onboard for what will be a journey nothing short of incredible and a joy to follow.

El Dorado



 
Gaily bedight,
A gallant night
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of El Dorado.
But he grew old --
This knight so bold --
And -- o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like El Dorado.
 
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow --
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be --
This land of El Dorado?"
"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied --
"If you seek for El Dorado."
                               Edgar Allen Poe

                                                                 "The Kinght And Death" by Albrecht Durer

Esperanza Spalding: Part One

Super Nova/White Hot; Hot!!!  and Rising…might be one way to describe the present state of Esperanza Spalding’s music career. She is nominated for a Grammy as best new artist, performing at the Pre- Grammy Show, the subject of articles in publications from “The New Yorker “ to “Billboard” and countless “Youtube”  videos all as she performs  live around the world. One benchmark of a really good artist is the caliber of people that want to perform with you; Stanly Clarke, Stevie Wonder, the illustrious Quartet “Fourplay” and Prince have all enlisted her talents.

 She has come on to the contemporary music scene like an unbelievable through bred  leaping out of the blocks. Running sometimes along with the pack then out distancing all of the competition and again with the pack but always slightly ahead. The music world hasn’t seen her likes  for many years. She just happens to be primarily a jazz artist and she is in a unique position as such. The only other jazz performer to be nominated as best over all new artist by the Grammys  was Nora Jones. Esperanza Spalding has the potential to change all music that comes after her. She is that good.

She reminds me of Yo-Yo Ma in the way that she seems to be the conduit that the mysterious entity that is music is transmitted into being. She is much like a spiritualist bringing forth a thing from another plane into our plane of existence. She is to marvel.








Esperanza currently has three solo albums: “Junjo” released in 2005, the self titled “Esperanza” in 2008 and most recently “Chamber Music Society” in 2010. Chamber Music is the first to feature mostly original compositions and arrangements. It is her strongest to date. She has chosen to cover Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Inutil Paisagem”, The Johnny Mathis classic “Wild is the Wind” and even puts the luminous   British poet William Blake’s “Little Fly” to music.





"Junjo"

  


"Esperanza"



This is inventive music that is challenging while still being beautiful to the ear and also renewing to the spirit. With this latest effort she does what great art should do, it breaks new ground while building on the past taking us willing as passengers. Her effort is a leap of faith into a wonderful new place that is hauntingly familiar.







"Chamber Music Society"





Spalding within the last few weeks has included performances in cities from Tokyo to Los Angeles and Cape Town. Her next weeks of performance will be in London, Paris, Barcelona and oh yes; Roanoke. That is correct Roanoke Va. at The Jefferson Center. I do plan to be there and I am excited!!! Part Two of this blog should follow the Jefferson Center Concert that is part of the “Chamber Music Society Tour.”

 If luck is a lady and fortune is good I may even talk with her and get some photos on what should be an enchanting evening.



Grammy Night is Feb. 13th