Exposure

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‘Exposure’ is an unprecedented vision and will present an unfettered, crystalline window directly into Spalding’s creative soul.  Once the cameras start rolling, the audience will be witness to every second of Esperanza’s process, including taking breaks to sleep in the studio. A monitor will also capture and show Esperanza live audience comments, allowing them to participate in the creative process.  After the album has been created and recorded it will be rendered on limited edition CD and vinyl via Concord Records.  The event will feature other musicians and special guests, to be announced.

‘Exposure’ will document the exploration of the most fundamental elements of creation, inspiration, spontaneity and improvisation, and present it to the listener in real time before it encounters any kind of filter, alteration or revision.

Says Esperanza: “I foresee that creating before a live audience will add excitement and extra inspiration energy.  Knowing someone is watching and listening to what you’re making seems to conjure up a sort of “can’t fail” energy.  The necessity to keep going because it’s live draws up another depth of creative facility that can’t be reached when you know you can try again tomorrow.

Having such limited time to write and record 10 songs will also force us to rely on improvisation and first instinct. Not allowing us time to judge, second guess, question, or alter the initial hits of inspiration that drive the creation of each song.

That means that the audience will get a record of the most potent, charged, fresh-from-the ethers-compositional, musical and lyrical content. Of course they will be formed into songs, but they’ll carry the charge of the immediate, of the innately inspired artists co-creating in the room throughout the 3 day process.”

‘Exposure’ is the follow-up to 2016 ‘Emily’s D+Evolution.’  It was deemed “her most fascinating album yet” by the LA Times, led to performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Show, a Pitchfork Best New Music, an NPR First Listen, fashion spreads in Vogue and Nylon and inclusion on several “Best of 2016” lists including the NY Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Wall Street Journal, Spin, Complex, and Time Magazine.

‘Exposure’ is a logical next step for this visionary artist.  Since ‘Emily’s D+Evolution’ she debuted ‘Virgin Writes,’ a lyrical, Butoh staging of the ancient Greek mythological story of Iphigenia (in collaboration with Yuka C. Honda and Vangeline).  Her ‘Esperanza Spalding Selects’ display at the Cooper Hewitt Museum is on exhibit now through January 2018.  She recently performed at Carnegie Hall with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and NY02 – a Carnegie Hall program for young instrumentalists ages 14-17.  She performed at the alternative Inauguration Peace Ball in January in Washington, D.C., and is currently touring with Andrew Bird.