Esperanza Spalding Archives - Page 4
Bass of the Week: Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Fretless 5-String
If you happen to follow Esperanza Spalding’s Facebook page, you might have seen from photos of her Radio Music Society summer tours that she’s wielding a slick new 5-string fretless. The bass is a South Paw, created by NYC luthier Simon Propert, and it’s one of a kind. “Each bass is custom and a little different, so there is no...
Esperanza Spalding: Precious, Live at Amoeba
My friend Dos was the first person to introduce me to the music of Esperanza Spalding, and this was the first tune that made me realize her genius. Taken from her 2008 release, Esperanza, “Precious” is a gorgeous groove that is a perfect blend of jazz and R&B. The bass line is infectious – and fun to play – and...
Bobby McFerrin Releases “Spirityouall”, Featuring Esperanza Spalding and Larry Grenadier
Master vocalist Bobby McFerrin has released Spirityouall, a thirteen track album compiled of classic spirituals as well as original compositions. Integrating many of McFerrin’s musical influences, the effort pays homage to the legacy of the singer’s father, the late baritone Robert McFerrin, Sr., who was the first African-American to sign a contract with the Metropolitan Opera Company. He was also...
Esperanza Spalding Announces Radio Music Society 2013 Tour
Esperanza Spalding has announced dates for her Radio Music Society 2013 Tour, which will cover parts of Asia and the Americas. The tour starts March 13th at the Mosaic Festival in Singapore before heading to Hong Kong and Japan. Then she’ll head to Canada and the United States for a lengthy tour through August. Spalding will be breaking up the...
2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #2: Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Spalding is another bassist who routinely makes our annual reader favorites list, and for good reason. The exciting bassist/vocalist/composer keeps releasing amazing records, winning awards and honors, and showcasing her skills in various videos we feature here. Here are the top five most viewed Esperanza Spalding stories and videos over the course of 2012. Be sure to also check...
Esperanza Spalding Wins Smithsonian Magazine American Ingenuity Award
Photo by Carlos Pericas The awards for Esperanza Spalding keep coming. This time around, the bassist/vocalist/composer has won Smithsonian Magazine’s American Ingenuity Award in the category of performing arts. This is the first year of the awards, which honor “nine groundbreaking individuals in technology, performing and visual arts, natural and physical sciences, education, historical scholarship, social progress and youth achievement.”...
Esperanza Spalding with The Roots: Live Performance of Weather Report’s “Predator”
My friend Marsha was telling me about Esperanza Spalding performing a Weather Report tune, where she lays down the bass line while singing the melody. I couldn’t believe I missed it. So after searching for a while, I found this (not perfect, but plenty good enough) fan-shot video of Esperanza with The Roots (wow!) performing Weather Report’s “Predator” (holy smokes!)...
Esperanza Spalding Issues Tour Update
Esperanza Spalding will be taking a quick break from her Radio Music Society World Tour for a few dates with Us Five, a jazz quintet led by saxophonist Joe Lovano. The group, filled out by James Weidman, Otis Brown III, and Francisco Mela, will be playing at Scullers in Boston and the Roots ‘N Blues ‘N BBQ Festival in Columbia,...
A Review of Mike Stern’s “All Over the Place”
Guitarist Mike Stern’s new record All Over the Place features a veritable smorgasbord of bass talent: Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, Dave Holland, Tom Kennedy, Will Lee and Victor Bailey. Like a kid in the rhythm section candy shop, Stern audibly delights in playing with these guys. Further, the quality of Stern’s writing, the variety of grooves...
Mike Stern Announces New Album with an All-Star Cast on Bass
Jazz guitar vet Mike Stern has a new album coming out on June 19, 2012, and bass fans have a lot to look forward to with this release. All Over the Place features eight different bassists on the 11-song release, including Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, Dave Holland, Tom Kennedy, Will Lee and Victor Bailey. Stern recruited...
Esperanza Spalding: “Crowned & Kissed”, Live on the Daily Show
Esperanza Spalding made a stop on the Daily Show recently, and closed out the show with “Crowned & Kissed”, one of the tracks on the bassist’s new album, Radio Music Society. We’ve been fans for Jon Stewart for some time, but we had no idea he was an air bassist. We love how Esperanza breaks down how holding the bass...
A Review of Esperanza Spalding’s “Radio Music Society”
Esperanza Spalding shocked many in the music world when she beat out Justin Bieber for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, about thirteen months ago. Bassists everywhere, likely less shocked, celebrated the win by one of our own. This exciting bassist/vocalist has just released her latest record, Radio Music Society, and one which shows the Grammy was no fluke....