Esperanza Spalding: Junjo

I've been hearing Esperanza Spalding's name floating around for a few years now, but for some reason I hadn't really taken the time to check out her music until recently.  Needless to say I'm happy I finally got around to it.  Spalding plays a style of jazz revolving around acoustic bass heavy funk grooves that back up her vocal melodies.  My favorite of her albums are her first release, Junjo, and her newest album, Chamber Music Society.  Her self-titled album Esperanza is also cool, but I didn't like the vocals or grooves as much as in her other releases.

At times I feel that Junjo could use more texture, but ultimately the simplicity gives it a relaxing feel that reminds me of the 1964 release by Stan Getz and Jaoa Gilberto, Getz/Gilberto.  In contrast, Spalding adds more musical elements in Esperanza, which features horn players and backing vocals on some tracks.  I'd say I like the vibe on Junjo better, both because of Esperanza's vocals and because, though Esperanza still provides a nice, relaxing listen, the music gets a bit busy at times.  However, I highly recommend both albums, and the differences show that Spalding is a truly versatile musician and composer.

Her third release, Chamber Music Society, might be my favorite of her albums, but is noticably different from her earlier music.  It features string players and poetic lyrics, though it still incorporates her funky bass grooves.  Spalding's voice is still great (though I don't always like the other singers she features) and the strings provide a very nice effect, particularly on the track "Knowledge Of Good and Evil."  Her basslines continue to provide a solid foundation for the music.  It's interesting to see how how string players can be successfully applied to jazz music, and I have to give Spalding props for fantastic arrangements throughout the album.

My favorite tracks on Junjo are probably the title track "Junjo," "The Peacocks," and "Perazuan," a track that shows the full extent of Spalding's vocal abilities.  Esperanza also has some nice tracks.  The one's I enjoyed most were probably "Ponta de Areia, "I Know You Know," and an interesting arrangement of the jazz standard Body and Soul.  On Chamber Music Society I liked "Knowlege of Good and Evil," "What a Friend," and "Winter Sun" best.  Spalding's music should appeal to just about anyone, since it incorporates elements of jazz, funk, R&B, and classical music.  Also, she's real hot.