Product Description The debut recording by Grammy Award winning acoustic upright bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, a native of Portland, OR, is an exercise in joy and freedom. Well rendered for such a very young musician, it's quite notable, considering the certainty of her concept and clarity of her vision. While steeped in contemporary jazz, there are Latin flavors, unabashed free moments, and some implied and direct swing. Further, it is an expression of her well-being, optimism, and future hope for her life in this music. Also in her peer group, pianist Aruan Ortiz and drummer Francisco Mela add a hundredfold to this music and establish themselves as leaders-to-be, and are quite capable partners for Spalding's wonderful sounds. The first piece, a take of the Jimmy Rowles evergreen The Peacocks, lets you know something special is going on. Spalding's bass leads out with the probing piano of Ortiz as wordless vocals and a modal jam all precede the melody, followed by a free section. The imagination quotient of this interpretation is off the charts. Mompouana is a most impressive circular tune surrounding the sweetness and light of Spalding's voice in a 9/8 time signature, choppy piano motifs, upper to midrange drama, and thoughtful, intricate secondary lines. In their ultimate playful state, Perazun and Perazela show Spalding's ability to scat, with Ortiz on the former and furiously alongside Mela on the latter track. The other covers are a darker-than-the-original rendition of Chick Corea's neo-bopper Humpty Dumpty and the personable, lighthearted Loro, written by Egberto Gismonti. Two Bad, with a feeling reminiscent of the standard Alone Together, is a brittle, quirky, and unpredictable tune that is the only instrumental of the lot. Spalding sings no lyric content whatsoever; her style is all natural, sensual, and precious. Whether she is coerced to sing songs in the future is to be determined. Junjo is an auspicious beginning that should catch the ears of any lover of great music. .com Junjo boasts an unusual format: A young American woman playing bass and singing wordless vocals with the accompaniment of a Cuban pianist and drummer. But 22-year-old Esperanza Spalding, an Oregon native who teaches at Boston's Berklee College of Music, is so confident in her multiple roles (she also produced the album, released on a Spanish label) and the music goes down so easily, all awareness of her band's makeup quickly fades. With their lighter-than-air quality, the tunes sometimes recall early Return to Forever (an association underlined by the inclusion of a Chick Corea composition) and her playing boasts the warm, richly amplified quality favored by many young bassists. But with pianist Aruan Ortiz stretching and shaping the melodies, Junjo is winningly personal. In addition to several originals by Spalding, alone or in collaboration with Ortiz or her drummer, Francisco Mela, it includes a smart and playful reworking of Jimmy Rowles' classic, "The Peacocks." --Lloyd Sachs See all Editorial Reviews
L**T
I was really hoping to love this album but I couldn't really get into it
I was really hoping to love this album but I couldn't really get into it. Esperanza is an interesting artist - brilliant player and singer but musically still hasn't quite found her place (and this album is a reflection of that). She's young so maybe as she matures and does more experimentation she'll fall into something that works for her and her audiences.
M**E
Four Stars
So talented and she carries the spirit of the ancestors!
J**.
Five Stars
got
J**H
A must have Jazz Album
A must have album for Jazz collection -- Listening in Vinyl will make you feel that she is playing in front of you, Live!
J**R
Five Stars
Esperanza as a bassist and a vocalist continues to exceed expectations 😀
J**R
The birth of something big in Jazz
If you are buying this album because you love Jazz and want to hear the early sounds of it's newest star, you should love this album. If you are buying this album because you want to hear the woman who beat out Justin Beiber for best new artist in 2011, I recommend you try her more commercially accessible releases Esperanza-2008 and Chamber Music Society-2010. All three are great albums, but this first one is a bit different.Junjo- from 2006 is the first studio release of Esperanza Spalding, one of the most refreshing new artists in Jazz today. It is an instrumental Jazz album that features Ms. Spalding at her rawest, showing us her chops on the bass, and with her voice scatting through a few of the arrangements. Along with Aruan Ortiz on piano and Francisco Mela on drums this trio works its way through a mix of original and traditional material ranging in sound from more traditional sounding American Jazz (not that smooth jazz crap either) to material with a more Latin and South American flavor. 5 of the 9 songs were written by members of the trio. Other songs include Humptyu Dumpty by Chick Corea and Peacocks by Jimmy Rowles. The only true vocal on the album is on track #8 Cantora De Yala which is very melodic right up to the vocals which are sung in Portuguese ( I believe that is the national the language of Brazil) of which Esperanza is fluent in. Each track on this disc shows a talented young jazz trio showing they are capable of playing with the best of them.This is a very wonderful first effort and it shows the world what becomes apparent in her later releases and performances. Ms Spalding is not just a young talented vocalist, she is a bonafide artist, and a monster bass player. I look forward to listening to this young woman's releases for many years to come.
M**L
Her "Radio" was much better.
I wasn't that impressed with this album. Her "Radio" was much better.
F**S
Doesn't get any better
Just have one word: OUTSTANDING.If you're in the mood for a suiting music for relaxation, a nice date or something like that, this is your cd.I have three of her CDs and I understand clearly why Esperanza was the Best New Artist at the GRAMMYs this year.If you enjoy jazz, with some great variations, this is your type of artist.
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2 months ago
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