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Esparanza on Jools


Oldman
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I really love Radio Song, but Black Gold has cheesy lyrics and it kills it for me, I somehow knew she'd do that one. She is really, really good though, highly talented, and a great composer and player. Love her voice, but as Wombatboter said, the jazz clichés start to grate a little after a few listens. Edgy as a billiard ball but nevertheless, very accessible and lovely tunes performed beautifully

I like about half the album a great deal, and about a quarter of it tightens my sphincter uncomfortably, not as bad as listening to Liza Minelli which has a sphincter factor of about 9.5. I'd say Esperanza's album has a jazz sphincter rating of about 2.5, which is excellent for what is essentially a soul/jazz album. Hope that helps :)

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338208816' post='1670775']
...about a quarter of it tightens my sphincter uncomfortably, not as bad as listening to Liza Minelli which has a sphincter factor of about 9.5. I'd say Esperanza's album has a jazz sphincter rating of about 2.5, which is excellent for what is essentially a soul/jazz album...
[/quote]

This is great! So I can use my ringpiece to rate music on the Sphincter Scale? What about making 'The Sphincter Factor'? Celebrity judges connect their arseholes (which are shown on huge screens) to an electronic device which 'works out' the sphincter rating of each act, which is shown on a giant LED display. If the judges don't like a particular act, instead of pressing the 'X' buzzer they can instead produce an Earth-shattering fart, the rule being 'three farts and out'. If a judge inadvertently 'follows through' the act gets the chance to appear the following week BUT must clean up the mess first!

IT'S TV GOLD, I TELLS YA!!

Edited by discreet
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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338208816' post='1670775']
I really love Radio Song, but Black Gold has cheesy lyrics and it kills it for me, I somehow knew she'd do that one. She is really, really good though, highly talented, and a great composer and player. Love her voice, but as Wombatboter said, the jazz clichés start to grate a little after a few listens. Edgy as a billiard ball but nevertheless, very accessible and lovely tunes performed beautifully

I like about half the album a great deal, and about a quarter of it tightens my sphincter uncomfortably, not as bad as listening to Liza Minelli which has a sphincter factor of about 9.5. I'd say Esperanza's album has a jazz sphincter rating of about 2.5, which is excellent for what is essentially a soul/jazz album. Hope that helps :)
[/quote]

Love that review Nige... :)

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[quote name='urb' timestamp='1338225540' post='1671136']
Love that review Nige... :)
[/quote]
:)

I have it on my headphones as we speak while I'm cooking. I really like it, and the more I listen the more it sort of reminds me of Steeley Dan, but without the great lyrics and the humour. But you know what, it's a grower, and I've had no sphincter action so far this evening :D I swore blind the other night that Allan Holdsworth is on it, but it's just a copyist, the boy needs to develop an identity.

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1338229379' post='1671234']
Aww! :( But what about 'Sphincter Factor'?? It's got legs! :D
[/quote]

:D

I'll put on the Jeff Berlin album later, that has a Sphactor that all others are measured by. If you put High Standards on, you can get your endoscopy postponed for a fortnight.

Edited by silddx
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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338208816' post='1670775']


I like about half the album a great deal, and about a quarter of it tightens my sphincter uncomfortably, not as bad as listening to Liza Minelli which has a sphincter factor of about 9.5. I'd say Esperanza's album has a jazz sphincter rating of about 2.5, which is excellent for what is essentially a soul/jazz album. Hope that helps :)
[/quote]

This IMHO is a very anal approach to rating your music collection. :lol:

Dave

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To throw in my opinion on her performance on JH, I really WANTED to like her, as this type of thing would normally be right up my strasse, but I just thought it was dull. I enjoyed the other acts much more tbh. Disappointed.

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[quote name='Rayman' timestamp='1338381336' post='1673556']
To throw in my opinion on her performance on JH, I really WANTED to like her, as this type of thing would normally be right up my strasse, but I just thought it was dull. I enjoyed the other acts much more tbh. Disappointed.
[/quote]

I really want to see her live again as I haven't heard her play bass guitar on a gig - her upright playing is great and she can sing her butt off (not literally - that would be impressive!) - the clips I've seen of her on BG have seemed like she needs to fully transfer her DB skills to bass guitar - she's sickeningly talented though and I suspect we're all just being a little too anal :)

On another slightly unrelated but similar 'new bassist everyone has been talking about' / or perhaps getting overhyped - I went to see Thundercat live and it was killing - if you can imagine a 21st century Stanley Clarke ripping up some P Funk-into-fusion stuff - all to a wild reception from a crowd of dubstep-weened 20-somethings - he had a great band and a second bass playing who was nailing some fine low end grooves. I think the point is - reserve judgement until you've really seen someone live - recordings/YouTube/TV sound erc can be deceptive :)

Cheers

M

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I only heard the TCat album and couldn't stand it, thought it was horrible, but again, I think that live his outfit would be pretty thrilling. I think some music is meant to be heard live.

I'm really enjoying the ES album, I even got past the lyrics on Black Gold and like the track now :D

Edited by silddx
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[quote name='urb' timestamp='1338414105' post='1674376']
she's sickeningly talented though and I suspect we're all just being a little too anal :)[/quote]

Yeah maybe. It wasn't [i]bad [/i]I just didn't particularly enjoy it. I can appreciate talent when I see it, no question, but I'll take a song or performance on face value, as a whole, and think yes, or no. With her I just thought....no, and it was during her tune that I turned over to see what else was on, always a bad sign I guess. I even enjoyed Paloma Faith, who I don't particularly care for normally, and the Hives were great too.

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338228794' post='1671217']
:)

I have it on my headphones as we speak while I'm cooking. I really like it, and the more I listen the more it sort of reminds me of Steeley Dan, but without the great lyrics and the humour. But you know what, it's a grower, and I've had no sphincter action so far this evening :D I swore blind the other night that Allan Holdsworth is on it, but it's just a copyist, the boy needs to develop an identity.
[/quote]

I'm in the "I want to like her stuff but not so sure" camp. Many of the arrangements are just too darn busy. I put it down to youth and hope that she grows out of it.

100% agreed on Holdsworth comparison.. last track Smile lIke That stands out by a MILE for me.. Major AH influence on guitar.. For me that tune is the most straightforward and grooving, with fantastic changes that aren't too hyperactive. As for copyist.. maybe, but I admire anyone who can decipher AH's take on harmony. Love him to bits, because his playing is so unconventional and yet so darn compelling (excluding synthaxe before anyone says...)

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Coming late to the party here , but I caught her 1st song on the iplayer , and couldn't even bring myself to watch it to the end .

Probably gonna be slated here , but it just sounded a mess . Great playing but no tune . Someone on here mentioned about great players don't always make great music , and by what I saw , I'd agree .

Perhaps if I listened to some of here albums , I may have a different view , but on the strength of the programme alone , I won't be bothering .

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[quote name='E sharp' timestamp='1338716796' post='1678265']
Coming late to the party here , but I caught her 1st song on the iplayer , and couldn't even bring myself to watch it to the end .

Probably gonna be slated here , but it just sounded a mess . Great playing but no tune . Someone on here mentioned about great players don't always make great music , and by what I saw , I'd agree .

Perhaps if I listened to some of here albums , I may have a different view , but on the strength of the programme alone , I won't be bothering .
[/quote]

A mess? No tune? Whatever it was it certainly wasn't a mess without a tune, it has a very clear arrangement and it's very tuneful. I suppose it's down to what you're used to hearing.

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[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1338725418' post='1678454']
A mess? No tune? Whatever it was it certainly wasn't a mess without a tune, it has a very clear arrangement and it's very tuneful. I suppose it's down to what you're used to hearing.
[/quote]We're all different mate , as seen here by the differing views of her performance .
Some of you love it , and some of us really can't see what the fuss is about .
I suspect I'd probably like her sideman work more (if she's done any) , 'cause this seems to be the case with me . Like I've got albums with Marcus Miller on , that I like - playing wise and tune wise . I've also got some of his solo work , and I consider it pure dross - just tuneless .

I just love listening to these guys , and gals , in sidemen roles , backing up great established artists . It's just when they go off and do their own , mainly instumental , albums , it just loses me somewhat . I know I may be in the minority , and I'm not playing devils advocate here , it's just we all 'hear' this stuff differently .

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ES is a fantastic musician, singer and songwriter. Not to my taste but that doesn't stop her being all of those things.


She also proves that the size of your hands doesn't matter when you're playing bass, as long as your technique is good.

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Well after all this I thought I should post a tuppence worth. I recorded the show and before I could watch it the redundancy fairy struck and I had to pull my finger out and sort another job.... Done that. Downloaded the show from iPlayer and intended to watch it in Stavanger this week where i am based in the short term. Just watched it, I'll download the album as I thought the two tracks were pretty good and are hopefully just the tip of the iceberg for, shall we say more inspiring material. I have an eclectic mix of Jazz from a Mono Vinyl Horace Silver "Cape Verdian Blues" to some off the wall Miles Davis including a Chet Baker CD selection and other spurious stuff. I would hasten to say Jazz and its derivatives are not my main listen, but I can listen. ES was esy on the eye and ear, complex arrangments too much slidy I'm playing "a Lined Fretless" bass for me but syncopated and a breath of fresh air, remains to be seen if i like the rest. A steely Dan produced Album might make the best of her yet. She does look good though :)

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