Boston Globe: Spalding hones her pop-crossover chops
March 20, 2012
Elizabeth Lippman for The Boston Globe
http://articles.boston.com/2012-03-20/arts/31209674_1_radio-music-socie…
“Chamber Music Society,’’ the album that netted Esperanza Spalding so much acclaim, not to mention the 2011 Grammy for best new artist, braided strands of jazz, light classical, and gentle R&B in ways that hadn’t precisely been done before. The record was fresh, intelligent, and graceful, if difficult to plug into any particular radio format, but it climbed the jazz charts nonetheless. Given such success, her follow-up, naturally, is entirely different.
“Chamber Music Society,’’ the album that netted Esperanza Spalding so much acclaim, not to mention the 2011 Grammy for best new artist, braided strands of jazz, light classical, and gentle R&B in ways that hadn’t precisely been done before. The record was fresh, intelligent, and graceful, if difficult to plug into any particular radio format, but it climbed the jazz charts nonetheless. Given such success, her follow-up, naturally, is entirely different.