Esperanza Spalding: Junjo (2006)

Jeff Dayton-Johnson

Contributor since 2006

Jeff Dayton-Johnson is a rapidly-aging economist and return migrant to California

Recent articles (201 total)

Published: July 22, 2006

The debut recording by this 22-year-old Berklee instructor and Portland, Oregon native features Brazilian-inflected jazz in the company of Cuban bandmates, released by a Spanish record label. Put that way, Junjo sounds terribly worldly and logistically complicated, but in fact the record comes across as an intimate affair executed with a light touch.

The Brazilian accent is most discernible when Spalding accompanies her bass playing with wordless singing (except on "Cantoro de Yala," which she sings, diffidently, in Spanish). This vein is well-known to jazz listeners: the music sometimes recalls Flora Purim's singing on Chick Corea's records, other times the up-tempo, melodically complex terrain covered by Maria Schneider on Concert in the Garden (Artist Share, 2005). The circular melody on "Mompouana" is an especially nice example, with a catchiness that would suit lots of radio airplay. Regrettably, jazz hits aren't so common anymore.

Spalding's bass playing has the same disingenuous and ingratiating charm as her singing, with more easy virtuosity as well. And indeed, that combination of characteristics imbues the entire date, right down to the selection of material (some good originals; a nicely bass-driven version of "The Peacocks").

The trio's playing has a slightly impromptu, rough and ready quality: this does not prevent splendid flashes of precision from pianist Aruan Ortiz, who is excellent throughout. Drummer Francisco Mela is slightly less subtle, sometimes knocking about a bit, but he's generally well-suited to the vaguely (or explicitly) Latin rhythms.

Junjo is not perfect: plenty of passages and some entire numbers don't exactly gel. But the whole project is so thoroughly infused with freshness that it almost doesn't matter. Spalding's first outing manages to be brash but not arrogant, eccentric but not abstruse, appealing but neither facile nor populist. A fine balance.

Track Listing: The Peacocks; Loro; Humpty Dumpty; Mompouana; Perazuan; Junjo; Cantora de Yala; Two Bad; Perazela.

Personnel: Esperanza Spalding: bass, voice; Francisco Mela: drums; Aruan Ortiz: piano.

Record Label: Ayva Musica
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream

Shop for jazz:

Esperanza Spalding Related

View more Esperanza Spalding photos | Upload Esperanza Spalding photos

Date	Venue	Tickets
Jun22	Royal Theatre Victoria,	buy
Jun23	Vogue Theatre Vancouver,
Jun25	Francis Winspear Centre for Music Edmonton,
Jun26	Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts Calgary,
Jun28	The Town Hall New York, NY	buy
Jun29	Maisonneuve Theatre de la Palce des Arts Montreal,	buy
Jul04	Muziekgebbouw Frits Philips Eindhoven Eindhoven,	buy
Jul05	Festival International de Comblain-La-Tour Comblain-La-Tour,	buy
Jul07	Love Supreme East Sussex,	buy
Jul09	Gruvillage Festival Grugliasco,	buy
Jul12	THEATRE DE VERDURE Nice,	buy
Jul14	Festival Veranos de la Villa Madrid,	buy
Jul23	Palais Longchamp Marseille, France	buy
Jul24	Arena del mare Genova,	buy
Aug03	Fort Adams Park (Newport Jazz Festival) Newport, RI	buy
Aug04	Tanglewood Seiji Ozawa Hall Lenox, MA	buy
Aug28	Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
Aug29	Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre Salt Lake City, UT	buy
Aug31	Curaçao North Sea Jazz Festival Antillas
Nov14	Palau De La Música Catalana Barcelona, Spain	buy
Mar06	Sanders Theatre Cambridge, MA	buy