(June 16, 2008)
Well this isn't technically part of my European trip, but on the eve of my trip I went to see a show in Seattle with Asia and my friend Kayla: ESPERANZA SPALDING at Jazz Alley. This show definitely help set up the mood for the trip. Actually wrote this while flying from Seattle to Chicago.This is someone I had barely heard about not more than a couple of weeks earlier--saw her on Letterman while on a road trip in Reno. (Youtube's removed the performance, but here's another one).
This is why I need live music. To get inspiration & to get re-energized. I saw duality in Spalding. She is tiny in frame, but sports a wicked 'fro. She has expert bass skills, yet has a voice all her own. She smiles & frowns, she was loud and quiet.
What presence. We were lucky to have a booth on her left, so we saw her interact with her drummer. She was the show, but percussion is the focus. Fro bouncing & voice scatting. They say she is part of the "future" of jazz. If she is, she had some help (atleast with honing her mad skills): Berklee College of Music in Boston. Hard to believe I hadn't even heard of Berklee prior to last year. I spent a good part of
summer 2007 in Boston, and I got my first taste of their students who were playing on the street--maybe these kids will join Spalding as jazz's future!Whatever the case Esperanza Spalding is awesome, and I know I'll be listening to her in Europe. So talented--voice, fingers, and she's also written a few of her own pieces. She and her band did perform some standards though. I liked what she called them, they're "fruit basket" songs for jazz musicians. "Painters have their fruit baskets, and jazz musician's have their standards", she said. The two standards they played were "Body & Soul" and "Prelude To A Kiss".
What can I say, great music at a great venue and with two beautiful ladies: a good start to a trip.
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