Esperanza Spaulding

It's the end of the month, and I'd like to end this month with an artist I'm really crazy about. She's a very talented singer and bassist by the name of Esperanza Spaulding. Some of you may know her by her Grammy win for Best New Artist (beating out Justin Bieber, Drake, and Florence and the Machine), but I remember the first time I heard of her was seeing her perform her version of "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder for the president (on youtube of course). Her voice is incredible, and she is a fantastic bass player. Her Albums "Esperanza" and "Chamber Music Society" are both amazing, and I believe her next CD, "Radio Music Society" comes out in the first quarter of 2012. It's really hard to say what "genre" of music she plays, because her music has such a wide variety of different music styles. Some songs have more of a jazzy feel, or maybe r&b, funk, lounge, brazilian... it goes on!

Some fun facts about Esperanza: When she won her Grammy for Best New Artist she was the first Jazz Artist to ever win that. Almost immediately after graduation from college later the same year, Spalding was hired by Berklee College of Music, becoming one of the youngest professors in the institution's history, at age 20. She has also played for president Barack Obama four times!

If you've never heard of Esperanza Spaulding then look her up, listen to a couple songs, and then buy her CD's. She is a brilliant musician, and I believe everyone should listen to her.

Have a good one!
Jake Ryan.

Jaco Pastorius

A couple weeks ago I took the bus to the mall, and I had quite a bit of extra money with me that day so with extra cash equals new CDs. Like I stated in my last blog I've been on the hunt for other music besides Death Metal, and as soon as I walk into the Jazz section I see Jaco Pastorius's self titled CD (re-issue). If someone you know who plays bass and doesn't know who Jaco Pastorius is... Slap him in the Head! Jaco is considered to be acknowledged to be a virtuoso, doing many things your normal bass player wouldn't. His solos were intricate and he was the first to make his bass "sing", which was achieved from his fretless bass. Seriously, if you've never heard of him, look him up.

So getting back to the CD. The CD is magnificent. The bass line on "Come on, Come Over" gets me into a deep groove, and the song "Portrait of Tracy" is probably the most beautiful piece of music ever written on the bass (tied with "The Enormous Room" by Michael Manring, imo). But this CD needs to be purchased by not only bass players, but all musicians. I bought for $6 at FYE so it's very affordable. Don't download it, BUT IT.

RANDOM FACT: Pastorius was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only four bassists to be so honored (and the only electric bass guitarist)

Have a good one!
Jake.