Here’s an awesome video of one of my favorite current jazz performers. We don’t talk much about the vocal aspects, but Esperanza Spalding really shows how appealing and effective the voice can be in jazz just as well as instrumentals. She’s always pinpoint accurate, even in different runs or in her phenomenal higher range. And even though her singing is clearly the center of attention, the instrumentalists are pretty remarkable too.
I thought that the performers did a great job, as did the vocalist. But, this style isn’t really to my taste. I thought that the vocals were a bit too airy and disjunctive. For me, I thought it distracted rather than accentuate the colors and sounds of the ensemble. It was a bit easier to find the groove by the 3:48 mark but when it returned to the prose-like lyrics, I had trouble keeping the groove.
At first, the spoken word vocals and sporadic accompaniment threw me off, but then I realized that the introduction was just an ad-lib section. After the improvisatory intro, I enjoyed the vocalist’s smooth and silky voice. However, my favorite part was when the backing vocals entered around 4:30. Overall, I liked the balance between the lyrical and prose-like sections because it requires the listener to really focus.
Wow, Esparanza is amazing. The scat singing that she incorporated throughout the piece was great; to something like while playing the bass at the same time is something to be admired. I really liked the call and answer that she had with the soloists and her voice, as well the different styles she went through during the piece. Overall, all the instrumentalists were very good and all were able to support Esparanza and help her voice shine.
Singing and playing bass is not easy. I know that from experience. That being said, I think it’s amazing how Esperanza does both and makes it look like a piece of cake. I think she (or whoever) did an amazing job of arranging the piece. Everyone blends extremely well, and ultimately works together to complement Esperanza’s voice.