"Esperanza Spalding Is The 21st Century's Jazz Genius"

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Esperanza Spalding Is The 21st Century's Jazz Genius

Discuss.

 

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For anyone who doesn't yet know, she's a virtuoso on both upright and electric bass, voice and composition as well.

 

[bkbirge]

She's awesome but with a 100 years in the century and it only being the 18th year I humbly suggest the author waiting a little longer before engaging max hyperbole.

 

[bholder]

Ok, ok, they should take a "thus far" on the end. Better?

 

[farshore]

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Esperanza Spalding Is The 21st Century's Jazz Genius

Discuss.

No real need to discuss. She's just a plain bad-ass musician.

 

[Matthew_84]

I love her playing and phrasing. Easily in my top 5 of all bassists. Maybe my number 1 for Jazz. She’s definitely not playing traditional walking basslines on most of her tracks, but that’s fine with me. In fact, I prefer it.

 

[TNCreature]

I don't know if she's a genius, but she definitely amazing.
So talented, great performer, extremely likeable. A true musician.

 

[jerry]

I saw her Emily D+Evolution tour and it was one of the best show's I've ever seen, and I've been to a lot in my years. I think she sure has the artist vision to be one of the bright lights in our musical culture for decades to come.

 

[MattZilla]

I bet she's not very good at something. Maybe her refrigerator is a mess? Full of last month's leftovers? Maybe she's an otherwise great driver, but never uses her turn signals? Maybe she eats Hawaiian pizza but hates TNC. There's gotta be something, but as far as I know, she's pretty awesome.

 

[Michedelic]

Yeah, a little premature, I’d add “so far” to that. It begs the question, will there be jazz in 2099? Will playing actual instruments, with other people in real time, in the same room(and using a wide range of notes), be a dismissible, quaint notion? Oh, and there will be a ‘crime of the century’ or three to get through in the next 80 some years as well.

 

[eJake]

If she wanted to marry me I'd be down..... Just sayin it

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

This article was on point !!

 

[Pat Harris]

Super talented? Yes.
Super creative? Sure.
Does her music "hit me" in that place where I want to hear it more than once? No.

 

[Afc70]

Very talented, indeed.. However, these days, it seems the “genius” title is thrown around like candy at a parade.. exaggerated way too much imo.

 

[groooooove]

there are way too many people doing way too many things to nominate just one...

 

[Deleted member 165050]

She is an astonishingly gifted player and singer imo, and she makes upright bass look so effortless. Can't quite work out why it's so much harder for me

 

[lermgalieu]

Super talented? Yes.
Super creative? Sure.
Does her music "hit me" in that place where I want to hear it more than once? No.

Same. She’s great live (REALLY great), but the records don’t hold up for me.

 

[phudson]

Super talented? Yes.
Super creative? Sure.
Does her music "hit me" in that place where I want to hear it more than once? No.

+1. Would love to see her live though. Here’s an interesting [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], in which he describes her playing as pointless. He also dogs on Stanley Clarke, and calls Herbie Hancock crap. He comes off a bit of a jerk, but I thought it was kind of funny.

 

[Booty Shaman]

+1. Would love to see her live though. Here’s an interesting [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], in which he describes her playing as pointless. He also dogs on Stanley Clarke, and calls Herbie Hancock crap. He comes off a bit of a jerk, but I thought it was kind of funny.

Anyone who thinks Stanley Clark & Herbie Hancock are crap is not someone whose opinion I take seriously. I went through a listening to Bill Laswell phase - for about 6 months - but I have been enjoying and listening to Herbie Hancock & Stanley Clark for 40 years and it still doesn't get old. I have never understood why musicians feel the need to talk crap about eachother - like Joe Zawinul constantly putting Jaco down. Just seems like deep seated insecurity to me. Esperanza Spalding has earned her accolades, whether I like her music or not. More power to her - it ain't easy being a female musician - especially in jazz.

 

[shwashwa]

she's a good bass player. many people can play the crap out of electric, upright, classical, jazz, and compose. (patitucci is the first that jumps into my head) i havent heard her do authentic latin stuff yet, and there are guys out there that can do all of the above plus the latin thing, so there's that...then you have guys like eddie gomez and marc johnson who are more narrow in scope but go very, very deep in that scope...