June 27, 2008 @ 1:26 pm

Esperanza Spalding at the JVC Jazz Festival New York

Jozen Cummings

Bassist/vocalist bucks jazz tradition with style and substance

Esperanza Spalding is more than a good jazz musician she’s a musician good for jazz. Performing Wednesday night at New York City’s JVC Jazz Festival, the 23-year-old bassist/vocalist along with her group – Leonardo Genovese (piano); Ricardo Vogt (guitar/vocals); Otis Brown III (drums) – challenged all conventional notions of jazz performance. And even though some audience members snuck away throughout her set – a small slight Spalding took great pleasure in calling out – it was only because Spalding is anything but a jazz traditionalist.

As she strutted out on stage to her original composition “I Adore You”, Spalding looked just as ready for a Soul Train line as she did for her introduction of sorts to an audience of jazz purists. Her lithe alto soared from the microphone as she sang indiscernible, but soulful arpeggios, and the rich, deep timbre of her bass (Spalding sings and plays bass simultaneously) bottomed out the band’s soulful vamping. From that point forward, Spalding and company were making a statement: Keep up.

Fortunately, Spalding didn’t need to do anything extra to make the crowd follow her lead. Sure, the take-out-your-camera-phone sized Afro and cute –if awkward – dances she does to every note helps keep all eyes on her, but both were quickly overshadowed by what the ears were hearing. Her interpretation of the jazz standard, “Body and Soul” gave only a slight nod to tradition, but for the most part was wholly original with its atypical 5/4 time signature and catchy swing groove. And when Spalding broke into originals like “She Got To You”, she demonstrated her ability to push the music forward with contemporary lyricism set against her rhythm section’s dance-friendly upbeat shuffle.

By the end of the set, Spalding proved why she is as in demand in non-traditional jazz settings – she has performed on the Late Show With David Letterman and The Roots Family Picnic – as she is in places such as the JVC Jazz Festival. The traditions of jazz are something Spalding is more than familiar with, but with an entrancing voice and superior bass playing, the challenge to push the music forward is one she is more than capable of handling.

Esperanza Spalding’s album, Esperanza (Heads Up),  is in  stores now.

Set List
“I Adore You”
“Body and Soul”
“Winter Sun”
“She Got To You”
“Wild Is The Wind”
“O Bem No Mar”

Article tags: The Roots 

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