Esperanza Spalding : You gotta watch this

[Burwabit]

I preordered the album on iTunes and it arrived fully last week I think. This song was a bit of a shock at first but is totally growing on me now. I view this song as an invitation to the rest of the album, which is worth checking out.

Love it, unbelievable talent. Clicked on the full concert somehow, insane. Great strap-o-belt thing too.

Looking forward to watching this whole video when I'm not at work.

 

[interp]

Esperanza is a musical genius, pretty much impossible to categorize or compare with anyone else. As for Tal, well she is indeed a wonderful musician but she does not even approach Esperanza's level of virtuosity and range.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Esperanza is a musical genius, pretty much impossible to categorize or compare with anyone else. As for Tal, well she is indeed a wonderful musician but she does not even approach Esperanza's level of virtuosity and range.

Esperanza Spalding is a genius indeed. I would like to see her apply for a McArthur Genius Grant so she could have the funding to really stage her performance art in a fully realized way.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Love her. She's great, but me thinks she just jumped the shark.

She's too young to have jumped the shark, even if she totally rejects what she is doing now.

 

[brianrost]

Love her. She's great, but me thinks she just jumped the shark.

I like her new album after a few listens (it's mostly a power trio) and after watching that video, I'm sorry I didn't buy tickets to her local performance. Musically it reminds me of Me'shell Ndegecello who I like a lot. Fits right in with what people like Janelle Monae are doing.

 

[AngelsBassBall]

Her new album, Emily's D+ Evolution is fantastic. Groovy, weird at times, easy to listen to and yes, tasty bass lines.

 

[Gab124]

In response to both her and Tal's recent releases. Both experimental yes, and both not really my cup of tea and that's okay. However, Esperanza sounds great singing even if it is a song I don't care for; Tal on the other hand, to my ear, maybe is not a lead singer and I just wish for more of her bass work. But, I am glad they are testing out new ideas, much better than following the radio recipe for mediocrity.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I like her new album after a few listens (it's mostly a power trio) and after watching that video, I'm sorry I didn't buy tickets to her local performance. Musically it reminds me of Me'shell Ndegecello who I like a lot. Fits right in with what people like Janelle Monae are doing.

I don't get the Janelle Monae connection. Monae is very much in the r&b tradition.

 

[Jay Corwin]

It's a little bit better if you ignore the video and just listen, but not much. Sometimes brilliant musicians make not so brilliant artistic choices. I would file this under that category. I'm sure their will be the whole school of people who claim "you just don't get it man", defending it as again brilliant musicianship. Doesn't much matter to me what the degree of difficulty is if the music isn't palatable.

This all looks very Spinal Tap'ish BTW. I was waiting for dwarfs to come running on stage.

 

[Doublesixes]

I'd rather stay home and watch reruns of "The Love Boat".
And people pay good money to get to see that stuff?

Esperanza is a wonderful bass player though.

 

[Hopkins]

I think she has a built in fan bass (see what I did there ) because she is a bass player and attractive girl. Personally I don't care for the music.

 

[ESPweasel]

I dig it. Off the mainstream even if it's a little 'weird' I think it's awesome.

Emily, the lil' blond back-up singer is a great talent as well.

 

[TripleDouble]

That made me uncomfortable, mostly because her "acting" was really self-conscious and awkward, at least until she put the bass on. Was that the point? Why step over the scrim like that? Why are there no cool lights? Oddities like this really need to be all-in for them to have a vibe and work, with meat dresses and Spiders From Mars and big screens and stuff, at least for me, otherwise you just get a weird high school modern dance recital vibe. Just in this case, with awesome players and a Grammy winner. But Yo Yo Ma and Yngwie couldn't make that work. Or maybe they would. Yes, paunchy Yngwie in leather pants WOULD have made that all made sense. maybe. I feel so confused now.

Actually, I didn't like the song, lyrics, or arrangement either, and the other musicians all look worried or constipated. The bass playing is very very cool, but by that point, the ship has sunk for me. And am I allowed to be critical and say her glasses are ugly, or is that against forum rules? And is that Erykah Badu's hat? Man, this video has got me feeling weird.

 

[ESPweasel]

Man, this video has got me feeling weird.

I think that was the point.

She was better on the late show. She played the whole time.

 

[Jay Corwin]

The burger king crown is pretty sweet.

 

[corinpills]

jaco and kate bush had a daughter?!

Morw like Mick Karn and Kate Bush, but you're on the right track. I like it a lot. Freaky.

 

[corinpills]

Love her. She's great, but me thinks she just jumped the shark.

Save this post for 25 years and check who's still gigging. She's lifer.

 

[Velofixer]

Save this post for 25 years and check who's still gigging. She's lifer.

She's one of our treasures here in the Northwest. I laughed out loud when she got the new artist Grammy a few years ago over some plastic kid pop star who I shan't name.

 

[GregC]

I'm reserving judgment for now till I listen to it a few times. But I give her credit for pushing the envelope rather than playing it safe.

 

[Gab124]

It reminds me of Mothers of Invention. - with vastly different lyrics though