Esperanza Spalding : You gotta watch this

[smeet]

Great as I think she is (and I really do), I don't enjoy this. Esperanza's stage presence has always felt a bit self-conscious and forced to me, like she feels she has something to prove. When Bowie took on an alter ego, it felt part of him, even though we all knew it was acting. This feels pasted on to me. I want to love it I but I can't.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

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.

Personally, I was never wowed by her physically. She attractive, but I love bass too much to pay attention to a bassist just because of her looks. If a female bassist is especially fine, I can simply look at her videos on YouTube at no cost.

I think that Spalding is going for a David Bowie style adoption of a character as a vehicle for a musical theme. I think she could use collaborators to help her better realize this approach.

As for her new album. I simply love the music. The music stands on its own.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I think that was the point.

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

This more straight ahead performance is more to my liking.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Great as I think she is (and I really do), I don't enjoy this. Esperanza's stage presence has always felt a bit self-conscious and forced to me, like she feels she has something to prove. When Bowie took on an alter ego, it felt part of him, even though we all knew it was acting. This feels pasted on to me. I want to love it I but I can't.

I can see that, but put yourself in her shoes. You are a young woman who is almost supernaturally gifted, and you are doing something not normally associated with women. My guess is that it be hard not to be self conscious. Maybe Emily is a joke only she gets? That would be cool too.

 

[bassliner50]

Fantastico!

 

[BassBrass]

a well recorded evolution of Zappa Magma and 20th century classical boilerplate with dramatics, splendid! she's probably a good boss too. She should jam with Annie StVincent.

 

[SteveC]

She can sing and play. As with any artist, I don't always like everything, but I can't expect them to do just the things I like.

 

[Passinwind]

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

A bit more like Carla Bley, IMHO.

 

[Strung_Low]

She can sing and play. As with any artist, I don't always like everything, but I can't expect them to do just the things I like.

Exactly, she's young, incredibly talented as a singer and as a bass player, and super beautiful...and she comes from a jazz background, so she's pushing the envelope a bit..being creative. Someone else mentioned Bowie, he did the same thing. I highly recommend going to see her live, she's amazing...and yes, I have a bit of a crush

 

[Deleted member 261632]

It could be me, but I didn't understand niether music nor the bassplaying and the mixing. Probably not my cup of tea.

 

[pedroims]

I love Esperanza but this clown thing she is doing here is y

 

[kesslari]

Saw the show. Blown away by the heart and brain that was put into it.
And her ability to sing crazy complex parts while playing crazy complex bass parts - crazy cool.

 

[bassinplace]

I'm looking forward to seeing this show tonight. As to the vid in the OP, it does seem a little bit strained to me, like she's maybe trying just a bit too hard. I'll wait and see what I think after I've seen the whole show. I hope she'll be playing a lot of bass as opposed to just singing.

 

[TinIndian]

I've liked everything I've heard from her, except this.
Not my thing.

 

[pacojas]

I'm looking forward to seeing this show tonight. As to the vid in the OP, it does seem a little bit strained to me, like she's maybe trying just a bit too hard. I'll wait and see what I think after I've seen the whole show. I hope she'll be playing a lot of bass as opposed to just singing.

one can hope,.. good luck, buddy!

 

[fakeneckplate'65]

It's so nice to hear something different, rather than the tired old rock sound.

 

[lethargytartare]

As for the Tal Wilkenfeld comparison, Esperanza is a genuinely accomplished singer who would be great if she did not play an instrument at all. Tal cannot make that claim.

That just seems a bit unfairly focused on Tal. That statement could be applied to any number of hugely successful musicians. Take away the bass and what would Victor Wooten be great at? How about Jimi Hendrix if he didn't play an instrument at all? Without a bass and a pop band, Flea would be a heroin-addled trumpet-playing nobody, I guess. I'm not suggesting Tal is going to make a lasting impact to jazz or the instrument, but to call her out with that criticism is just odd when there are bigger names to whom the charge would equally apply.

And Esperanza is incredible.

 

[jro]

Kudos to her for doing something different. Did anyone else get a Joni Mitchell vibe from this? Or a Jaco vibe? Or some mashup of them together?

I like her bass sound, really out front in the mix. Anyone know what she is playing?

 

[jro]

I didn't know Amy schumer sang backup for her

Funny - and isn't the middle singer Meshell Ndegeocello?

 

[pacojas]

Kudos to her for doing something different. Did anyone else get a Joni Mitchell vibe from this? Or a Jaco vibe? Or some mashup of them together?

I like her bass sound, really out front in the mix. Anyone know what she is playing?

yes,.. a very forced Joni Mitchell with extra corn. JM was soooo natural and digestible with her style. ES seems like she's on a Molly infused art damage trip, imo.
i still love and respect her, but my fandom will not be pushed into liking this self-indulgent overkill. like one prior post suggested,.. the band looked abit disheveled.