Music : Esperanza

Rating: - Brillant!!!
Spread the word, there's a new lady in town: Esperanza Spalding, and she's bringing her 'A' game to the area of music called Jazz. And what a refreshing brew it is. Using her skills as a bassist, accompanied by her brilliant voice, which can be heard in three languagues (English, Portuguse & Spanish), this her sophomore presentation, is a mature offering for one so young (she's 23)
What I love about this CD is the variety on offer. You have straight on jazz, a samba selection, and a soulful selection, all wrapped into one CD.
The bonus that Ms Spalding has is that along with her skills as a bassist, she has a great voice, that I would imagine, along with her looks, would make her a marketing dream. But she still has to deliver the goods, and she does: form the soulful' I Know that you know', the quiet stormish ' Fall In', the sambaish' I Adore You', and the haunting 'Samba Em Preludio, which I couldn't get out of my head the to name just a few of the highlights of this CD. This is a solid set that should make this young lady a star, if there's any justice in the music world. My CD of the year thus far

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Rating: - Esperanza is the real deal!
This is my first review, so please forgive me if I sound a little jumpy. I have to say though that I saw and heard Ms Spalding sing and play the guitar and bass at the Pori Jazz festival, Finland, several weeks' ago. What a talent! This album is filled with fantastic jazz tunes such as I know you know and precious. The only downside for me was the fact that the song "Jazz" is not on this album. A stunning album nevertheless!