Written and Interviewed by: Jennifer Pammit

 

The Society of the Performing Arts strives “Bringing the World’s best to Houston” they definitely upheld that promise when 24 year old multilingual beauty, Esperanza Spalding made her latest stop to the Bayou City at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Spalding’s quartet transformed the nearly filled venue into an intimate evening at a New York City jazz club: a chill atmosphere that made you forget you were sitting outside during a hot and humid Friday night in Houston, Texas.

Spalding does to the acoustic bass what Alicia Keys does to the piano, compose authentic sounds with real instruments that get you excited again. Sure singers and bassists are plentiful but to perfect both simultaneously with such natural style reintroduces real music back to the LimeWire generation worth buying again. She’s surely the fiercest chick with a bass in hand to hit the scene since Meshell Ndegeochello.

With the confidence and certainty of a tenured professor, Spalding hit the stage front and center and ready to teach. “I Know You Know” brought the funk, while the lyrics and melody of “Precious” had all ears open when she made no apologies to a past love for staying true to herself. “Fall In” was a duet with pianist Leo Genovese that slowed the tempo down while “ I Adore You” spotlights Spalding’s scatting ability. “Most songs already speak a story, just by the groove, melody, harmony, form. Most of the time, the music comes first, then it’s a process of hashing out lyrically what the song is trying to say. Some of the lyrics come from experience, or from observing other people’s experience.”

Like most successful artists, success didn’t happen overnight. According to her official website, Spalding started playing the violin at age 5 and 15 she was a working musician on the acoustic bass in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. While most 20 year olds are still trying to figure out a college major, Spalding graduated and shortly after became one of the youngest professors at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. “These past couple of years have been a whirlwind of growth and opportunity. It’s a thrill to be able to captivate listeners, and the band is always growing and improving that aspect of the music. It’s magnetism. For the 5 years I lived in Boston after leaving Portland, I played a lot, in other bands, and always hustling to present my own music. I am SO grateful for those years of relatively low exposure gigs to sharpen my skills as a band leader and performer. The same tools apply whether we are in front of 1000 people, 50 people, 40,000 people, or the President of the United States.”

Being surrounded by musicians constantly at the Berklee College of Music, how exactly did she find her individual sound? “ There are many different kinds of musicians….and often, there may be multiple “rising stars” in the press and media, that are presented in similar terms, where their music may be spoken about using similar terminology in regards to where they are on their musical paths. But, of course, we are all at different stages. Some of us are still in the stage where we get the most out of emulating our favorites…some of us start by trying things our own way, and then evolve to copying for the sake of learning. As far as having an individual sound, everyone has that whether they intend to or not. Right this minute, the music that people hear coming from me is being referred to as “my sound” will keep changing until in a few years, perhaps decades, it becomes a fully mature, well nourished contribution to the real rainbow of “styles”, “genres” And “idioms” out there….the true artistic statements made by seasoned musicians with decades of experience and work under their belt."

Her words for those who share the same passion for music and the creative arts but are told by others to quit and get a “real” job?

“If you wanna quit, quit. There is no reason to pursue this work, if you don’t want to do it worse than anything else you could imagine. If you are truly swayed by others advice to quit, you might not be cut out for a like independent study, creativity, and belief in your ideas and sounds despite what others are staying. And, if you do decide to play music professionally, treat it like a 9-5. It actually demands that much if not more attention anyway. I think that when people realize how much discipline it takes, and how much you can get back in return, it appeases the characters who think it’s not a “real” job.

Her advice to the music community in Houston in the process of creating their own legacy? “First word of advice would be not to worry about creating a legacy. Then I would say to listen to as much as possible to other kinds of music, and really study and analyze in and out the music that touches you the most. Be able to emulate a lot of the grooves, or feels that touch you deeply from the music you love. Then, if you are a natural band leader, seek out opportunities to play. Even if they don’t pay much, or aren’t for a large audience. The most important tool as you get going is to learn HOW to present and play how you imagine yourself playing. And, of course, through the experience of trial, you learn a lot more about what you do an don’t want to ultimately do. Oh and of course, practice as much as possible, and seek out the musical advice of your elders.”

When her encore came to a close, her vocal melodies coupled with the deep bass lines, piano trills and percussion beats definitely brought the international flavors of Brazil to the Bayou City. But until we get a chance to Caipirinha it in Copacabana, Jazz Houston grab her CD and your favorite spot on the couch, it’s the perfect accompaniment to your favorite bottle of Pinot…