Esperanza Spalding at The Roots Picnic

Monday June 06, 2011

From The Philadelphia Inquirer

Roots’ Basketful of Talent
Philly group’s annual picnic – an all-day concert – gathered diverse acts.
By: A.D. Amorosi

Tastykakes. Hoagies. The Roots Picnic.

Philly likes its tasty traditions, and within four years of its start, hip hop’s hometown heroes have turned their all-day concert at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing into a ritual of diverse musicality.

Before Saturday’s sold-out show at the Pier, there was a “Pre-Picnic Appetizer” on Friday at the Legendary Dobbs with the Roots’ MC, Black Thought, rapping with members of his ensemble’s horn section to several of his band’s classics, as well as a brassy cover of the O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money.”

The Roots Picnic started at noon Saturday with two stages holding the likes of Man Man and Ariel Pink. The concert became an event when the exquisite Esperanza Spalding performed, backed by the Roots. The Grammy winner for best new artist wasted no time schooling the crowd, stating “jazz isn’t back; it never went away.”

She proved her theory, jumping between stand-up acoustic and electric bass and allowing her high voice to sail wordlessly through a taut cover of Weather Report’s “Predator.”

The Roots served as a fusion jazz band as its keyboards grew aquatic and drummer ?uestlove paradiddled like mad.

With that fluid backing, Spalding sang a Latin-tinged version of her “I Know You Know” as well as a bubbling take on the Michael Jackson ballad “I Can’t Help It.”

To read more click here

Radio Song (clip)	1:01	Esperanza Spalding
Black Gold	5:17	Esperanza Spalding

[+] open in new window

Watch what's on

*Radio Music Society Trailer
Esperanza Spalding at the Oscars
Black Gold
Esperanza Spalding at the Nobel Prize Ceremony

[+] open in new window

News Archive

IMN - International Music Network