Esperanza Spaulding at The Paramount Oakland

A few weeks ago Esperanza Spaulding played with her big band Radio Music Society, a follow up to her hit album Chamber Music Society.  Esperanza is brilliant, and this is her most ambitious project yet.  A true big band, which incorporates everything from funk, to Ellington, to samba, to Tin Pan Alley and Rock and Roll.  The musician credits give a good hint at how diverse and yet cohesive the ensemble is:
 Esperanza Spalding double bass,
electric bass, lead vocals
Jeff Galindo Musical Director,
trombone
Tia Fuller alto saxophone
Daniel Blake tenor and
soprano saxophones
Aaron Burnett tenor saxophone
Igmar Thomas trumpet
Leala Cyr trumpet, backing vocals
Corey King trombone
Jef Lee Johnson electric guitar,
backing vocals
Leo Genovese piano,
Fender Rhodes, keyboards
Lyndon Rochelle drums, backing vocals
Chris Turner backing vocals

As I'm fond of saying, she plays bass like Ron Carter, and sings like Betty Carter.  And leads an orchestra like Ellington or Sun Ra!

Dead Can Dance

I haven't posted for a while, as we have been recording the new Emily Palen release Creation and my new release Cult of Beauty.  But I have been out to see some great music, and there is more coming up this fall.  In August Dead Can Dance played the Greek Theater.  It was their first tour in 7 years, backing their first studio recording in 15 years.  I first saw them in the '80s, and in many ways they are timeless.  Lisa Gerrard has one of the most fantastic voices in all of music.  A huge range, often dipping into eastern quarter tones, and singing in everything from old English to invented languages, she casts an hypnotic spell.  The fans lean toward Goth, which has always amused me, as Lisa is usually in a white gown more reminiscent of Amee Semple McPherson.  And now the fans are mature Goth.  (With quite a few very attractive mums with their teenage daughters, for some reason. Bonding?).  Ms. Gerrard is a great beauty, and her voice has remained pristine.  She did a wonderful solo tour a few years ago.  DCD have always been two bands for me; one when Lisa sings, and a less fortunate one when Brendan Perry sings.  He hasn't aged well, and has always sounded to me like Neil Diamond imitating Jim Morrison.  It should be hard to sound pompous when paraphrasing Humpty Dumpty, as he does in Children of the Sun, but he manages.  Still, to be in the presence of Ms. Gerrard's incredible voice, and gentle, enigmatic demeanor, one would endure far more.