Esperanza Spalding: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

[@Bri-ss1gu]

It's been 10 years, I'm gonna need y'all to bring her back in HD!

[@DN-lo9hx]

This.

[@tristanleslaymusic]

Yes pls

[@tristanleslaymusic]

@@devanwiech We just want another tiny desk from her dude

[@icarorn]

yessss plss npr we need it NOW

[@indigo6485]

I agree

[@dojaneko179]

We need her tiny desk concert again. in 2017. with 1080p.

[@M4XV1LL41N]

yes plz

[@publishingdu4911]

2019

[@theinfamouspokeinrichmondc3543]

In 2019. I just discovered her yesterday. I feel like a reborn human. Please bring her back!!!!!!

[@LuisenGames]

please

[@kumkanimtengwana8981]

Please bring her back here

[@BlueRidgeJ79]

Perfect example of someone being everything they want to be...a jazz singer AND a jazz bassist. A lot of dedication here.

[@lookzcpf]

Came back to this after she announced the new record with Milton Nascimento. I’m finally getting more of what I craved 13 years ago when I first listened to Apple Blossom! As a Brazilian who loves Milton, this is truly a dream come true!!

[@Kinghenhog39]

Just commenting because I haven't seen anyone from 2020 leave some love for this gorgeous and brilliant jazz genius. I've never heard anyone like her and I want to hear more. I loved her original composition best but its all a soulful masterclass on Jazz to my ears.

[@essendossev362]

I'm here for her too!

[@이경준-e4u]

This girl is amazing. She sings in one time sugnature and plays bass in another. I can't imagine how the brain works to separate these two, its off the charts. My son calls it poly rythmn.

[@actress321]

Here in 2021. 🥰

[@kathyhollenbach7413]

@Henry OG, I'm listening in 2022 for the 1st time. Not big on jazz but that Apple Blossom's song was terrific!!

[@donnauzoigwe]

This WOMAN is an amazing musician! She puts it all out there.

[@susancain8505]

This girl is amazing. She sings in one time sugnature and plays bass in another. I can't imagine how the brain works to separate these two, its off the charts. My son calls it poly rythmn.

[@asktheraccoon]

And yet she will tell you that’s she’s much more of a composer than a legit interpreter while effortlessly doing what you’ve just described.

[@knoahbody69]

Yeah, she takes it to outer space and back.

[@knoahbody69]

@@asktheraccoon Some artists literally farting around is better then years of study by some musicians. Krall and Bareilles can do it. Connick Jr. Can. Hancock could although I've never seen him do it on camera.

[@stuartmunro6027]

@@knoahbody69 I can do it

[@secaucuss7344]

Have look at Jacob Collier. And he's another fiend for microtuning. No doubt, NPR needs to send in Henry Louis Gates to check for matches in their DNA. These talents are as rare as it gets.

[@bernios3446]

Don't know, whenever I see her I have tears in my eyes. She is such a beautiful & pure human being on many levels. From her early music till the latest recordings in 2021, she is also musically stunning and always surprising.

[@wmsmorgan]

Esperanza is beautiful in so many ways. I love the face, the expression, that finds her fellow musicians as they wait to play along, eyes closed, lips sealed, nostrils flared, inhaling and receptive. It's a magic space they live in.

[@artglick3245]

Clearly one of the 21st century's greatest musical talents. I know the century is young, but I stand by that. Check back in 85 years!

[@Dan3043]

Art Glick She's clearly one of the most self-indulgent artists out there.

[@artglick3245]

Dan3043 And clearly entitled to be so more than anyone of her young age. How would you be able to handle brimming with all that talent?

[@Dan3043]

There are lots of people from different jazz scenes around the world who have been doing precisely the same kind of music every night for a good fifty years. Now, I'm not saying she's not talented, but as an avid Jazz fan, I don't see anything innovative about her work. Perhaps I'm too narrow-minded to grasp the whole concept, but it feels very pedestrian and 'loungy'.

[@artglick3245]

Dan3043 I've seen her tour three times, and she reinvents herself every time. She may be self-indulgent, too, but after meeting her after a concert, I can say that she's also quite genuine and affable. Which Esperanza did you think was "loungy"? The girl that played with and wowed some of the greatest bossa nova players, the elegant lady of the Chamber Music Society, or the hip leader of the Radio Music Society? On tour she presents a genuine show, not just a musical performance. I listen to lots of jazz. Name one other artists that's "doing the same thing", and then tell me what that same thing is, because I don't think you could get more eclectic than Spalding. You might not be narrow minded, but you've definitely missed something.

[@Dan3043]

I haven't had the opportunity to attend one of her concerts. I have, however, seen a handful of videos, and purchased two of her albums. When I say that she's self-indulgent, it's mainly because when she performs live, she approaches the song with reckless abandon, and complete disregard for the intonation. And whilst - to a certain extent - this is encouraged in Jazz performers, if you delve into her work, you find experimentation for the sake of it at its very core. And experimentation without purpose or thorough research will likely produce a similar result, which for me is quite flimsy and vapid. Furthermore, for me, it feels as though she thinks that she can completely deconstruct a genre, and 'reinvent' it without providing any justification for her motivation, or any research for it, thus making it highly self-indulgent. Regarding your inquiries, this performance feels very 'loungy' for me. And as for similar recording artists, I must admit that my knowledge fails me at this moment. I'm not fond of her work, and as such, wouldn't be able to appreciate any comparable production. Nonetheless, I have been to jazz cafés all around the world, and I've witnessed artists in cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and New York performing very much like miss Spalding, but as lounge singers, some of which, had even been doing so for a few decades already. Fortunately, though, Esperanza is young, has an 'earthy' appearance, and is seemingly subversive, which in the era of the unsuspecting Hipster makes her somewhat marketable. Perhaps the reason why there isn't another artist like her on the charts, is the very reason why she can earn a living doing this. That being said, I do believe she is talented in her own right, but I would in no way deem her as *"Clearly one of the 21st century's greatest musical talents."* In that same spirit, I have a strong relationship with music and I indulge in a wide spectrum of musical genres from different eras. I know that taste is very much subjective, but I like to believe that I give credit where it's due. Accordingly, I hold some contemporary artists in high regard, and would almost dare to consider them prodigies in their field of work. Esperanza's work is a little bit too 'crafty' for my taste, and lackluster as a whole, but it simply means that she's not my cup of tea. Finally, let it not be said that I am an obstinate and perturbed individual. I am aware that this is just my perspective, and like you've said, perhaps I've missed something, and this is almost highly probable.

[@Thoushallshred]

She just reset my nervous-system with her voice.

[@hanselbeckfordjr7530]

Spaulding is the most talented artist I’ve ever witnessed. She sings in English, Spanish and French and is a talented bassist. I’m in true AWE.

[@Mbregs28]

That dude just chillin in the office over like some pure magic isn't taking place 5 feet away.

[@Jwall216]

hahahaha

[@rr7firefly]

When he was 12 years old he was playing hide-and-seek with his two younger brothers in a cornfield. Suddenly 3 space ships appeared and carried away his brothers and the family's milk cow. Nothing was ever the same after that experience.

[@musingvirtual]

That kind of thing was a weird recurring joke in the earlier Tiny Desk concerts like this one, I think NPR would pick a person to do that! Likely disappeared due to pandemic.

[@ROBERTF177]

So captivating and fresh. Her immersion into her art alone is beyond words and coupled with her amazing talent. Amazing what music can bring out of a person.

[@AndrewPalmerJazz]

You know who's a bassist no one can mess with? ...Esperanza Spalding. You know who's a vocalist no one can mess with? ...Esperanza Spalding. You know who's a composer no one can mess with? ...Esperanza Spalding. You know who's an ensemble arranger no one can mess with? ...Esperanza Spalding. You know who has hair no one can mess with? ...Esperanza Spalding.

[@LGnLA]

Well said!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@ants9151]

Love the hair comment!

[@claytonwalter8700]

Try listening with your ears.

[@flagelumdei8138]

01:47 oups ...

[@ahhhhyes]

@@claytonwalter8700 ?

[@mitchharris4905]

This woman ranks very very high on my favorite artist of all time. Idolize ain’t even the word. Her talent is one that I couldn’t even dream of having. Pure adoration. 🫶🏾💯

[@JasonBarrettePiano]

That last song literally brought me to tears... One of the greatest musical minds of our lifetimes!

[@ayandamgwenya4770]

🎷 Discovered her this year, I think 2 months ago! I'm blown away by her musical gif! I watched her "Jazz ain't nothing but soul" performance, my worrrrd the bassline! 🔥😭

[@LoveLoveDominic]

2024 still here. Amazing artist, big soul 💚✨✨✨

[@allenwilson116]

I'm a jazz pianist that is itching to make a song with you Esperanza Spalding. I'm A fan of that deep jazzy fusion soul my sister!!!!! You truthfully are a special gift from God to the music world.

[@wellingtonsilva1508]

When did you look how the others musicians reverence her at midnight sun, then you can understand the dimension of her talent .... she is great... and can sing a perfect portuguese too... simply amazing!!

[@dawntraci]

They were almost in awe of her.

[@caroljackson4093]

She’s a musician’s musician.

[@giovanni21mas]

she can also sing in spanish!

[@christinerigo1956]

Not human. Better than human. Some ethereal musical being.

[@RKupyr]

Checking back into NPR Tiny Desk Concert today after some months, I must thank NPR for this excellent series, highlighting so many fascinating and deserving musicians. And regarding Esperanza, like Frode Grunsvold below, I'll settle for adoring fan..... Such poetry. Aaaaahhhhh.......

[@IAM-pq3dz]

How can your eyes and ears not recognized the purity of the universe speaking directly through you and to you, In the humming vibrato of the bees in spring, in the bright tones of snaring sun rays that delight the eternal joyous occasion of life? In this moment, This girl is a golden sunflower and everything else is the bee. She is the sun for just a little while. 🌻🐝

[@lauragwillim1055]

I have watched this many times over the years. 2023 and apple blossom still brings me to tears. Saw her in Portland with Robert Glasper. What a treat!!!

[@kadenbass]

She teaches at Berklee and has for 7 years...she has incredible chops. I too play the bass, at major conservatory.

[@IndigoBassNotes]

While my education is next to nothing, she inspires me.

[@jenniferfrederick883]

I'm pretty sure she's the coolest and most interesting person I've ever encountered.

[@mikemerrill4073]

Her facial expressions, so deep. Simply beautiful.

[@rr7firefly]

Little Fly (0:00) -- Midnight Sun (4:10) -- Apple Blossom (9:13) Apple Blossom, composed by Esperanza, is the proverbial pièce de résistance. Wonderful beyond any description.

[@LGnLA]

BIG THANKS for sharing!!! Real talk, E. Spaulding is 'the truth' defined. 💯❤

[@juniorrat17]

THANK YOU 👍👍👍👍😩😩

[@lauragwillim1055]

I love this woman and her beautiful music. I really enjoy watching her feel every note. Her facial expressions say it all.

[@mahavishnustravinskij]

Impressive, I didn't know that basplayers could sing as good as Esperanza Spalding does, I didn't know singers could conduct as good as Esperanza does, and I didn't know conductors could improvise her way!!

[@cassandragunkel6101]

Just saw her yesterday at NJ Performing Art Center, singing standards her way, accompanied by excellent pianist. Saw her 6 years ago as she ventured into electric bass with the Devolution of Emily. So impressed by the many metamorphoses of this musical genius!

[@bbeettaa]

Esperanza is my favorite artist ever. She is so talented it brings me to tears

[@snidelywhiplash]

"Apple Blossom" is one of the prettiest things I've ever heard.

[@lauragwillim1055]

snidelywhiplash it's so beautiful I cry sometimes when I play this video. No joke

[@snidelywhiplash]

I feel you. It's just so gorgeous.

[@EraseAllMemory]

So beautiful and so sad. I cry almost every time I hear it.

[@natalialopez8007]

@@lauragwillim1055 same here

[@naomirootsmusic]

Apple Blossom might be the most beautiful piece I've ever experienced. My heart was warmed and then broken and then warmed and broken.

[@springnicole1810]

Just amazing! It's like she is the music itself!

[@Ricocase]

The bass is her spirit animal. Her voice is just as mesmerizing. Always cool to watch genius.

[@staffanolofsson8201]

I absolutely love this! Me, a greyhaired person, like the alto violinist. Music is so essential in our lives, whether we are young or old. And Esperanza is so inspiring, just think of what her forename means. We all need that.

[@KKoje]

Don't sleep on that gray hair. The kids generally don't have the depth of experience necessary to grasp how profoundly talented, accomplished and pure an artist she is. This young one brought it with her. She grasps the extent, the intent, the range and the emotion of music far, far beyond her years. I hope and pray she is inspiring her generation to such excellence!!!

[@alejandropardoduany8]

this is another level in humanity

[@chloejouzu]

She needs another tiny desk concert! Beautiful work

[@ligialewis2182]

Esperanza , you are astounding . Your musicality , versatility and grove are all precious . You remind me of my beautiful daughters . George, Sr

[@JasmineHenryPerc]

It's amazing to see how far Tiny Desk Concerts have come! NPR has done a fantastic job developing and maintain the series. Love it!

[@secaucuss7344]

Again, Jacob Collier's TDC. Borderline unbelievable.....

[@JohnBarnett-q1l]

OUTSTANDING ❤ RUGRAT ,THANKS, JOHN BARNETT 1:05 REVISITED 13 DECEMBER 2014 1:23 GOD BLESS YOU ❤❤❤❤❤

[@UNKNWN96]

I've never seen this performance until now, started playing bass after this video released (around 2015ish) and I remember looking for more prominent female bass players and came across her name quite quickly. She's easily in my top 3 along with Mingus and Wooten for the people who have influenced me the most. Love her style so much!

[@MegaMikeArnold]

Throwing some fresh love at ya Esperanza. Your talent and open attitude toward music without regards to any kind of prescriptive ideals is what makes you uniquely you and a real blessing to a broadening number of listeners worldwide. Thanks a lot. Stay cool.

[@joshuacavanagh-brierley6113]

Every time I come across this I appreciate it more and more. It's absolutely beautiful. The performance of Apple blossom is particularly special. Captured a real treasure

[@andrewtannenbaum1]

The most talented musician I know of - I mean all around talented - there's complete freedom in her approach.

[@Areya-Sunshine]

This is my first time hearing her and I love her! Especially 'Apple Blossom'!

[@MM-vs2et]

The way she mirrors the violin's lines is just so mesmerizing. Eargasms

[@dafnienyapi3525]

i am convinced that she a is a musical genius

[@gleventhal]

Dafnie Nacius I’m convinced the sun is bright. If she’s not a musical genius then I honestly don’t know who is.

[@awllypollyas8292]

@@gleventhal jacob collier?

[@redl0ydd752]

@@awllypollyas8292 Collier is obviously a Genius, both of them are, just in different ways and on different levels

[@MsImWright2]

This was insane. The video has ended and I'm still staring at the screen waiting for more...You could see and feel the music moving through her.

[@anthonyditullio7715]

What did I just watch you do Ms. Spalding? You just played a bass line that could just as easily drive a Metallica song as a Meters song, and then you sang Midnight Sun over it, playing the changes and throwing in the chromatic lines just for kicks. You just Zen Master blasted my head open. OMG now I just heard Apple Blossom. Thank you!

[@hiramgonzalez1367]

As of 12/03/18 we have 251 deaf people who can’t appreciate her talent. So soothing to my heart and ears.

[@musingvirtual]

That's kind of an insult to actual deaf people, dude. I went with a Deaf friend to her last show, there was an interpreter and he can feel the drums and bass, and the tour also had dancers. He loved the show.

[@MrCC379]

This woman is a musical phenomenon. And her recent Grammy win is saving our musical souls!

[@chocoblanc6609]

je pleure à chaque fois que je t'écoute chère esperanza, tu est le plus beau bijoux que la terre ait porté!! I cry every time I listen to you dear esperanza, you is the most beautiful jewels that the earth carried !!

[@martarodriguez538]

'her live' performances are 🔥 and ❄ experiences whose memory you cherish for...

[@gavinspillard2394]

This is absolutely crazy. She is on another level of talent

[@BandWagonWS]

how the jesus can she rip those bass lines and sing as she does?? absolutely amazing.

[@HealingQueen]

this is when I first heard and fell in love with Esperanza's voice and style..magnificent.

[@manb4war]

Like coffee with a splash of caribbean rum on a tropical morning...beachside...lovely

[@HillVillageDragon]

For me, it’s a cup of hot chocolate during a rainy afternoon inside of a comfy coffee shop in Portland.

[@MPam1619]

Quite awesome! I can barely walk and chew gum and can't imagine accompanying myself on bass while singing. Midnight Sun rendition absolutely exquisite.

[@artquintero3444]

so amazing. i wish i could see her live

[@NaturalVeganMama1]

I JUST FOUND OUT SHE IS GOING TO BE AT JAZZ IN THE GARDENS IN MARCH 2017. SO EXCITING. It's in Miami Florida in case you're near there.

[@pao9128]

Fuck, she came to my city and I couldn't go😭

[@aprilr8522]

Timeless... Sounds for the Anxious Soul. Relax and Be soothed by the harmony of voice and instrumentation

[@baky5372]

This is pure talent. NPR you need to bring her back

[@amayategels1117]

Happy to see you here month ago comment 🫶🏻

[@lauragwillim1055]

Apple Blossom just blows me away! I love her song writing so much!

[@michaelhoerig5920]

Music is in this woman's bones! She feels it deeply and communicates it to the listener. I love her music!

[@watch76]

Love and space... music that takes you there!!! I feel seasons when she sings.....

[@paulysci925]

esperanza is so unexpressablely remarkable its unreal :) "wow" beautiful and a thousand other sentiments !

[@snidelywhiplash]

+Paul Fuller I pretty much just sat through the whole set with my mouth hanging open.

[@paulysci925]

really a gem

[@leonardenglish815]

She kills me over & over & over, Her Angel, angelic voice in body & Soul in that bliss, when she performs

[@TheCompleteGuitarist]

Can't believe it's 9 years since I first saw this.

[@ireneruthfox]

A truly beautiful woman on so many levels.........Bravo

[@michaelmcdonald3057]

Her little girl voice, the total immersion into her performance, the way she turns that double bass into an extension of her body, and the magnificent Harpo Marx hair! She is a National Treasure!

[@hexbex_x]

I don't have words; my heart is full and my skin is tingling. Apple blossom...my, oh my.

[@samuelmaia4613]

She is amazing. Period.

[@hallowneiney7946]

Every Time I Comeback to Any of her Concerts i'm Speechless

[@natetureboy1618]

How is she singing and playing like that. That's serious stuff.

[@TroubleinZION]

She's at one with her instrument. She isn't having to think about what she's playing; at this point it's muscle memory.

[@rr7firefly]

Unlike Gerald Ford, Esperanza can walk and chew gum at the same time.

[@nickarran5221]

Tough one. I can't even speak when playing an instrument .. let along SING. Let alone whilst playing WELL. It's amazing ... but it would be nice if she did one or the other more often ;¬)

[@TroubleinZION]

Nick Arran Muscle memory.

[@noahgthomas]

I've been a musician for pretty much all my life and I can't hardly talk and play.

[@desvonbladet]

Woah! Came here WITH A TIME MACHINE from 2018 and I am marveling at your people's primitive codecs. Topping out at 480p! On the plus side, Spalding continues to be a marvel.

[@cynthiab.6263]

graceful, sensual ... and light(ful) ... amazing !

[@DesperationmixtapeOrg]

she has a gift and she's a gift to the entire world. enter some beauty in our lives...

[@camiecamper]

16:27 such a beautiful moment!

[@aslazaimi5824]

One Of The best creative monsters and performers I've ever heard in my life. She's just perfect and awesome in every single note she plays and sings.. Probably the best in the world right now

[@foxypsycho]

I was in her Black & Gold video 😁 Awesome talent!

[@qasimat]

Midnight Sun is unbelievable, I have always loved this song, but she takes it home.

[@SLAPTHEBASS11]

Her hands look so tiny when she is playing the bass! Yet she still gets around the instrument without a problem at all. She amazes me more and more.

[@bwebmasta1]

Back in 2021 for another watch after 9 years. Still beautiful & in awe. NPR should set up a part 2 session with Esperanza.

[@vargaso]

Apple Blossom is serious shit. High, high level music. She's stupidly talented.

[@soulpanda5616]

What I think makes this perfect is that it looks like they did a pop up show in a library. Love you NPR. Amazing Ms. Spalding, thank you.

[@GoddyNay07]

Amazingly beautiful music.

[@ysf-psfx]

Midnight Sun is such lovely poetry

[@alepavlovic]

Fantástico! Una belleza. Mi día es mejor. Gracias!

[@MrFlora888]

Hola Ale besos !!!

[@alepav7625]

Natalia Granada Hola Nati !!

[@MrFlora888]

Hola Ale Cómo estás? Abrazos!

[@alepav7625]

Natalia Granada Hola Nati. yo bien gracias. Te mandé mensaje en google+

[@bwebmasta1]

This is real, raw music. Totally real art, something that is lacking today, if you notice how enlightened and happy the musicians are performing with her? Beautiful words, music, and a beautiful artist that is Esperanza Spalding.

[@awesome792]

Who's watching in 2017? Love it!

[@martinkrauser4029]

just barely

[@theloniuspunk383]

2018!

[@ThePinkmufin]

2019? 😍

[@dailymemememe1989]

2022

[@awesome792]

@@dailymemememe1989 Same here LOL

[@rmc3966]

So beautiful, so talented. So moved by her and her music each time I come across her stylings.

[@rbaleksandar]

Very beautiful old school jazz.

[@chrisnkomo8953]

Long live NPR. This show uncovers some serious hidden musical gems. Awsome!

[@89cjenk]

Love apple blossom

[@777fiddlekrazy]

She is gorgeous! I felt like I was in an Old big band setting with her elegantly, without effort drifting across to and fro on an intimate stage in the 20's (1920's). Very taken with this!! :)

[@LividLibruh]

I want to be that cellist so badly! Esperanza is so amazing!

[@amythibodeauxclemons511]

Such a beautiful gift to have been blessed with. May her life be amazing!!!!!

[@zenwolfpup106]

Beautiful... a fabulous talent

[@squarebear619]

A true musician who is true to her art. ❤