July 08, 2008 @ 12:00 pm

Esperanza Spalding, "Esperanza"

Nate Chinen

Breezily seductive appeal.

Talent doesn’t come in a more concentrated form than Esperanza Spalding, a pixie-like 23-year-old bassist and vocalist who makes her U.S. debut as a bandleader here. Her playing, whether acoustic or electric, is scarily self-assured. Her singing, in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, has a breezily seductive appeal. So Esperanza would be an auspicious debut even if she didn’t sing and play at the same time—which, of course, she does, making it all seem easy. Her wordless vocalizing on an original samba like “I Adore You” would probably convince most listeners that she hails from Rio de Janeiro, instead of Portland, Ore. Ditto “Ponta de Areia,” the Milton Nascimento classic that opens the album. More narrative-driven tracks—like “Precious” and “I Know You Know”—suggest the supple, relationship-minded moments of neo-soul. Then there are the jazz burners like “If That’s True” (Roy Hargroveish instrumental R&B) and “Mela” (pan-Caribbean postbop). Like the basketball that shares her name, Spalding bounces around. But this album doesn’t make a slapdash show of eclecticism. Spalding has fashioned something cohesive and diverse, calling upon a strong coalition of musicians and the depths of her own skill. It’s clear Esperanza’s definitely got game—and has no hang-ups about showing it.

Article tags: Esperanza Spalding, Revolutions