Esperanza Spalding

Radio Music Society (Concord)

Last year, when Esperanza Spalding became the first jazz musician to win the Best New Artist Grammy – beating out Justin Bieber to the outrage of a nation of Beliebers – she catapulted from the obscurity of her genre to the international stage. The part-time Austinite and full-time bassist follows up that upset with fourth disc Radio Music Society, which follows 2010’s Chamber Music Society and finds her moving away from Latin and South American sounds toward a groove-oriented (and political) vision of contemporary jazz. The scathing “Land of the Free” takes on racism and wrongful imprisonment, ending abruptly with a clank of prison doors, while “Black Gold” is a smooth-jazz pep talk for black youth. The more traditional “I Can’t Help It” features bop saxophonist Joe Lovano, positioning Spalding as an artist looking forward and back, a powerful stance. (3:30pm, Barton Springs stage)

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This article appears in October 12 • 2012.

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