The sophomore release from bassist, vocalist, and composer Esperanza Spalding blends Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and post-bop jazz with a keen ear for ballads and pop. At times, ESPERANZA sounds like world music, at other times like female vocal jazz from the 1950s, and other times like smooth, Norah Jones-ish contemporary pop. Yet instead of making for a scattershot collection, these flavors are unified beautifully in Spalding's remarkable musicianship, writing, and singing. A refreshing listen from start to finish, ESPERANZA goes down smooth, but feels substantive.
