Is Esperanza Spalding the future of fretless?

Dr. Cheese · #1 07-04-2010, 02:50 PM

I was thinking today Esperanza Spalding is the first really great fretless bassist I can think of since Jaco who really sounds nothing like him. She is such a wondeful singer, great double bassist, and just so pretty, that her jaw dropping skill on her Fender Jazz gets overlooked. I noticed that she is playing more bass guitar, and I can imagine her ninflluence on the instrument growing.

Jazzdogg · #2 07-04-2010, 03:52 PM

Spalding is great, as was Jaco. I don't understand why so many TB threads seem to frame such choices in terms of stark dichotomies; IME, life seldom boils down to simple either/or choices.

groooooove · #3 07-04-2010, 04:00 PM

probably not. shes great, but not absolutely earthshattering- just really great.

Dr. Cheese · #4 07-04-2010, 04:00 PM

I don't think my post is an either or proposition. I did not argue Jaco's greatness, I argued that Esperanza represents the future of fretless while Jaco now represents an old school apprach to fretless bass guitar.

Here is a favorite Spalding performance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvBv4r2rtTw

This clip actually shows a difference in their approaches. Esperanza is a wonderful singer, so I suspect she feels much less need for a "lead" voice on the bass as did Jaco. That is probably why her tone is darker, and her basslines are more conventional.

KeithPas · #5 07-04-2010, 04:03 PM

I agree she is great and I also think she will be creating great music for a long time but I disagree that she is the first fretless player that does not sound like Jaco. Guys like Bunny Brunel, Brian Bromberg and Alain Caron are killin fretless players with their own voices.

ugly_bassplayer · #6 07-04-2010, 04:05 PM

Why must we always compare & quantify? (I love Jaco by the way)
Why can't we just say she is a great musician?

bass12 · #7 07-04-2010, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

I don't think my post is an either or proposition. I did not argue Jaco's greatness, I argued that Esperanza represents the future of fretless while Jaco now represents an old school apprach to fretless bass guitar.

Here is a favorite Spalding performance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvBv4r2rtTw

This clip actually shows a difference in their approaches. Esperanza is a wonderful singer, so I suspect she feels much less need for a "lead" voice on the bass as did Jaco. That is probably why her tone is darker, and her basslines are more conventional.

I can't say I see anything special about her bass playing in that performance. Then again, I find her singing kind of irritating.

There's no denying her talent, her style just isn't my thing. As far as her fretless playing goes, I can't say she sounded much different on a fretless than she would have playing a fretted bass in the above clip.

bass12 · #8 07-04-2010, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeithPas

I agree she is great and I also think she will be creating great music for a long time but I disagree that she is the first fretless player that does not sound like Jaco. Guys like Bunny Brunel, Brian Bromberg and Alain Caron are killin fretless players with their own voices.

Not to mention Pino - who I'd rather listen to than any of the above any day!

Dr. Cheese · #9 07-04-2010, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeithPas

I agree she is great and I also think she will be creating great music for a long time but I disagree that she is the first fretless player that does not sound like Jaco. Guys like Bunny Brunel, Brian Bromberg and Alain Caron are killin fretless players with their own voices.

I know many do not make Jaco note choices, but almost everyone favors the Jaco rear pickup tone. Spalding doesn't use that tone at all.

Once again, saying someone is the future is very different from saying that one player is better. I don't think anyone argued that Wooten represented the future of slap compared to Larry Graham or Louis Johnson? I also don't think that would be a putdown of Larry Graham either.

Dr. Cheese · #10 07-04-2010, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass12

Not to mention Pino - who I'd rather listen to than any of the above any day!

Pino is a difference maker. As an r&b guy, I always think of Michael Henderson, Fernaundo Saunders, and Lamont Johnson, as three unsung fretless giants who ntended to be overlooked. Finally, Tony Levin's fretless work is very distinctive too.

**NOLA Bass** · #11 07-04-2010, 04:20 PM

I have to say that I find her enchanting as a player and singer. I am not much of a jazz fan but there is something about her stuff that just grabbed me right away. I really like the compositions, her playing and like I said I love her voice.

Zachthebassplyr · #12 07-04-2010, 04:20 PM

Esperanza is great and I love listening to her.
That being said, Music is not a competition sport,
it's an art form.

India_Sierra · #13 07-04-2010, 04:24 PM

I don't think so. She's good, but she is nowhere near as good as the "big boys" of the instrument and surely nowhere near as good as Michael Manring, who IMO has been the fretless bassist to watch over the past decade.

Dr. Cheese · #14 07-04-2010, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zachthebassplyr

Esperanza is great and I love listening to her.
That being said, Music is not a competition sport,
it's an art form.

Please show me where I said one was better than the other in any of my posts.

Gawd · #15 07-04-2010, 04:26 PM

I'm not sure where the competition aspect is coming from for most people here. All OP is saying is that she has a different sound on fretless, drifting from the Jaco sound that has influenced a lot of players, and he's wondering if her sound could influence future players like Jaco's did.

bass12 · #16 07-04-2010, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zachthebassplyr

.
That being said, Music is not a competition sport,
it's an art form.

Unfortunately, for a lot of musicians this does not seem to be the case!

Nurb · #17 07-04-2010, 04:38 PM

She's really great but in this clip she doesn't really sound "fretless". She probably simply dislikes frets because of her double bass background.

Dr. Cheese · #18 07-04-2010, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nurb

She's really great but in this clip she doesn't really sound "fretless". She probably simply dislikes frets because of her double bass background.

That's what's really cool about her to me. I like the idea of not always leaning on the obvious "fretless" cliches.

**pacojas** · #19 07-04-2010, 05:05 PM

all i know is,... during the Prince Tribute at the BET Awards Show,... she KILLED!!!!

Mojo-Man · #20 07-04-2010, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass12

Not to mention Pino - who I'd rather listen to than any of the above any day!

You beat me to it.
As much as I like Jaco.
Pino, was always always a different fretless player, than Jaco.
His 80's work was more Pop, R&B.
Jaco, Pino, and Mick Karn, were my main fretless influences.