Esperanza Spalding Introduces ‘Emily’

The Grammy-winning artist is exploring her childhood passions for theatre, poetry and movement as she broadens the concept of performance.  Word from Spalding’s camp is that she originally came up with the project on the day before her birthday while experiencing a “sleepless night of full moon inspiration.”  The project will feature all new material that “unfolds as live musical vignettes.”

And where did the name come from?

“’Emily’ is my middle name, and I’m using this fresh persona as my inner navigator,” Spalding said.  “This project is about going back and reclaiming un-cultivated curiosity, and using it as a compass to move forward and expand.  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.”

But before Spalding takes this her new persona on the road, she’ll present songs from her Chamber Music Society and Radio Music Society albums in sold-out shows at Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall April 26 and San Francisco’s Miner Auditorium at SF Jazz Center May 1-3.  “Esperanza Spalding Presents Emily’s D+Evolution” begins in San Francisco May 5 and concludes in New Orleans at Essence July 4.  Here are the dates:

May 5 – San Francisco, Calif., The Independent
May 7 – Los Angeles, Calif., El Rey Theatre
May 15 – New York, N.Y., Le Poisson Rouge
May 16 – Boston, Mass., Paradise Rock Club
May 17 – Philadelphia, Pa., Theatre Of Living Arts
June 12 – Brooklyn, N.Y., Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn! Perf. Arts Fest)
June 13 – Washington, D.C., Various Venues (DC Jazz Festival)
June 14 – Cincinnati, Ohio, 20th Century Theatre
June 16 – Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cain Park
June 18 – Carmel, Ind., The Palladium
June 19 – Madison, Wis., Barrymore Theatre
June 20 – Fargo, N.D., Fargo Theatre
June 21 – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Various Venues (Groove-FM Jazz Winnipeg Festival)
June 24 – Des Moines, Iowa, Wooly’s
June 25 – Milwaukee, Wis., Henry Maier Festival Park (Summerfest)
June 28 – Chicago, Ill., Lincoln Hall
June 29 – Chicago, Ill., Lincoln Hall
July 1 – Birmingham, Ala., Iron City”
July 2 – Nashville, Tenn., 3rd & Lindsley
July 3 – Atlanta, Ga., Terminal West
July 4 – New Orleans, La., Mercedes-Benz Superdome (Essence Music Festival)

Presales for select shows began today with general onsales launching April 17. Click here for the artist’s website.