If “esperanza” is the Spanish word for hope, then bassist, vocalist and composer Esperanza Spalding could not have been given a more fitting name. Blessed with uncanny instrumental chops, a multi-lingual voice that is part angel and part siren and a natural beauty that borders on the hypnotic, the 25-year-old prodigy-turned-pro might well be the hope for the future of jazz and instrumental music.
“The future of jazz is a frequent topic for Spalding… as one of its brightest new talents.” –The Los Angeles Times
Esperanza combines the imaginative flights of a serious improviser with the musical accessibility of a pop star and within two years of her solo debut has beguiled success at nearly unimaginable heights. Esperanza, her 2008 release, spent over 70 weeks on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart and was the most successful internationally selling debut that year.
With her new project, Chamber Music Society, Esperanza takes a contemporary approach to a form of entertainment that is centuries old. Inspired by the classical training of her younger years, Esperanza has created a new sound that combines the spontaneity and intrigue of improvisation with sweet and angular string trio arrangements that encompass elements of jazz, folk and world music. Chamber Music Society is not just for classical or jazz connoisseurs, but rather a sound where both can find common ground.
Esperanza Spalding (double bass & lead vocal)
Leo Genovese (piano)
Terri Lyne Carrington (drums)
Sara Caswell (violin)
Jody Redhage (cello)
Lois Martin (viola)
Leala Cyr (backing vocals)
Click here to download the PDF e-Program for ESPERANZA SPALDING Chamber Music Society. This PDF e-Program has been created in support of New York University's sustainability mission and Green Action Plan.
Click here to read more about a Skirball Center Membership Package available for those who wish to attend both Esperanza Spalding (Sept 30) as well as Vijay Iyer and Robert Glasper (Apr 28).
NYU Skirball Center season programming is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts.
Photos by Sandrine Lee. Courtesy of Montuno Productions.
