Jazz at the Lobero is thrilled to kick off the 2015 Fall Jazz series with Grammy award-winning singer, composer and bassist Esperanza Spalding and her newest project, Esperanza Spalding Presents: Emily’s D+Evolution on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Rekindling her childhood interest in theater, poetry and movement, this new project delves into a broader concept of performance. Originally conceived the day before her birthday during a “sleepless night of full-moon inspiration,” Emily’s D+Evolution will be performing all new material that Esperanza says, “unfolds as live musical vignettes.”
“Emily is my middle name, and I’m using this fresh persona as my inner navigator,” Spalding says. “This project is about going back and reclaiming un-cultivated curiosity, and using it as a compass to move forward and expand.”
Spalding explains that Emily’s D+Evolution goes beyond traditional performances.
“My hope for this group is to create a world around each song; there are a lot of juicy themes and stories in the music. We will be staging the songs as much as we play them, using characters, video and the movement of our bodies.”
Single tickets for Esperanza Spalding Presents: Emily’s D+Evolution are on sale now at Lobero.com.
VIP Tickets are $105, Section A tickets are $49 and Section B are $30. VIP ticket holders can look forward to an exclusive VIP reception before the performance, and their names will be listed in the evening’s program.
Series tickets will be available until Aug. 19. For more information, call the Lobero Box Office at 805.963.0761.
About Esperanza Spalding
Spalding’s journey as a solo artist began with the 2006 release of Junjo, featuring pianist Aruán Ortiz and drummer Francisco Mela. She presented the various sides of her writing on Esperanza, her 2008 international debut recording, quickly topping Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart and becoming that year’s best selling jazz album worldwide.
Numerous awards and appearances followed, including an invitation by President Barack Obama to appear at both the White House and the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. She also performed at the 84th Academy Awards, and in an appearance on the Late Show, David Letterman and bandleader Paul Shaffer proclaimed the young musician the “coolest” guest in the program’s three-decade history.
Her experimental sketches continued with Chamber Music Society in 2010, joined by keyboardist Leo Genovese, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, percussionist Quintino Cinalli, vocalists including legendary Milton Nascimento and a string trio arranged by Gil Goldstein and Spalding. The album was another instant chart topper and gained multiple awards, earning her Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011.
Maintaining her lifelong passion for new sounds and uncharted territory, the versatile Spalding has collaborated with musicians and artists from different styles and genres, including Wayne Shorter, Prince, Herbie Hancock, Corinne Bailey Rae, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe.
DownBeat Magazine calls the Lobero Theatre, “a jewel of a jazz room” and recognizes the Lobero in their prestigious guide to the worlds’ Great Jazz Venues each year. From its incredible inaugural season in 2000, which featured Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock on through groundbreaking performances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band last year, Jazz at the Lobero has provided a wealth of memorable musical moments.
New this year, Brubeck Circle Members enjoy an exclusive 20 percent discount on all Jazz at the Lobero shows. The Lobero Brubeck Circle makes it possible for the Lobero to bring amazing jazz, blues and roots artists like Wayne Shorter, Dr. John, Chris Thile, Robert Cray and Keb’ Mo’ to the Lobero stage over the years.
This core group of donors also supports efforts to create the jazz audiences and fans of tomorrow through educational outreach programs. Learn more about the Lobero Brubeck Circle at Lobero.com/Jazz and become a member by designating a gift of $100 or more to jazz at Lobero.com/Donate.
Jazz at the Lobero single and series tickets are available now at Lobero.com, or by calling the Lobero Box Office at 805.963.0761.
Don’t miss Dorado Schmitt and the Django Festival All-Stars (Nov 10), as the greatest gypsy jazz group in the world returns to perform the timeless and toe-tapping music of Django Reinhardt. Then, enjoy a special evening celebrating the 100th birthday of the Chairman of the Board with The Tierney Sutton Band: A Century of Sinatra (Dec 9).
Series prices are $129 and $105, with a limited number of VIP subscriptions available at $315. All prices include facility fees. VIP tickets include priority seating, pre-performance private reception and recognition in the event program.
—Angie Bertucci is a publicist representing the Lobero Theatre.