Jazz Roots series continues with Esperanza Spalding & Terri Lyne Carrington
On Friday night October 19th it was truly on and crackin’ at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The night was deemed “Ladies of Jazz” and both ladies that performed were high octane Grammy Award Winners.
This concert represented the second of a three part voyage called The Jazz Roots Series, sponsored by the incomparable and iconic producer Larry Rosen. The Peach Review was there for the initial concert last month which featured legendary jazz men Ramsey Lewis and Al Jarreau; and we feel equally blessed to have witnessed two female icons in the making, in the forms of Esperanza Spalding and Terri Lyne Carrington.
Drummer extraordinaire Terri Lyne Carrington opened up the evening’s festivities playing several tunes featured on her latest CD released last year “The Mosaic Project”. If you haven’t checked it out it’s a must have – featuring the likes of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Patrice Rushen, Sheila E., Nona Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, and oh yes, Esperanza Spalding! My personal favorites were “Sweden” and “Hop-Scotch”
Performing on the day after her 28th birthday (October 18, 1984), Esperanza Spalding lived up to all the expectation that a ‘Best New Artist’ Grammy Award winner generates.
For almost 2 hours, Esperanza, with main man keyboardist Leonardo Genovese in tow, and accompanied by three saxophonists, two trumpeters, two trombonists, two vocalists, and an outstanding drummer, brought down the house. Esperanza crooned through favorites like “Smile Like That”, “Holding On”, a wonderful rendition of “Endangered Species”, and what’s developing into her most popular close out song “Radio Song” where she coaxed the audience into some acapella sing along: “now if you want to, sing it loud, with love, with love in your heart – because you like to, because you need to”!
Before the evening ended, Esperanza shared with the audience a touching story of a man she met through an organization called The Innocence Project; The Innocence Project fights to free individuals who are unjustly incarcerated. When Esperanza met this gentleman (named Cornelius Dupre’), she was so touched by his story that she wrote a song on his behalf; when she performed the song you could have heard a pin drop – very moving.
To get the full scoop on the concert remember to check on the next edition of The Peach Review™!