Understanding Emily’s D+Evolution

An FYI for all the Esperanza Spalding fans out there: While the Grammy-winning jazz bassist and vocalist is crisscrossing the nation on her latest tour — which is slated to make a stop in Atlanta on July 3 — she’s not really on tour. I mean, yes, Spalding has, of late, been appearing at venues from coast to coast playing music, but she’s not doing it as the artist you’ve come to know on such albums as Junjo and Radio Music Society. Instead, she’s serving up tunes via a brand-new persona she’s dubbed “Emily.”

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Yeah, it’s a little confusing. Let’s put it like this: It’s kind of like when Garth Brooks became the soul-patch-rocking Chris Gaines, only (hopefully) not as awful. Or better yet, it’s a little like Beyoncé in Sasha Fierce mode.

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Right about now, you may be thinking, “Surely Esperanza is going to clear up this whole mess.” Well, don’t hold your breath. She’s seemingly wrapped an intentionally designed shroud of mystery around the project since day one. Case in point: In a video clip announcing her Emily’s D+Evolution tour back in April, she coyly offered, “I don’t know yet all the way,” when asked, “Who is Emily?”

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In the same clip, however, she did shed some light on the birth of her new identity. She explained that the idea for the Emily alter-ego, which is the musician’s actual middle name, came from a “hit of inspiration” she felt after watching a film about rock drummer Ginger Baker, who played for the iconic band Cream. “I saw the documentary Beware of Mr. Baker; they showed a lot of Cream rehearsing and talking about their history as jazz musicians,” she said. “It was like ... the magnets hooked and connected.”

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All that said, folks planning to check her out in concert are probably wondering just what the hell this woman will be doing on stage. Well, to help you out on that front, we’ve compiled this quick and dirty list of FAQs on what to (and what not to) expect from Emily.

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Will Emily play any jazz?

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No, not really. In her April announcement, Spalding mentioned that her touring band is a power trio — guitar, bass, and drums — which is traditionally used in rock settings. Add in her Cream commentary, sprinkle in bits from early reviews of the show, one from the New York Times, for example, pointing out “a four-on-the-floor drumbeat and a thorny electric guitar riff,” and bootleg YouTube clips of D+Evolution shows she’s played so far, and it appears she’s dipping her toes in the rock-and-funk waters, but still with some splashes of jazzy improvisation.

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So, I won’t hear any of my old Esperanza favorites?

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Nope. For the tour, she’s offering a playlist of totally new material, some or all of which will be released at a to-be-announced date on her next studio album. In fact, she’s traded in her standard stand-up bass for an electric one. So, sadly, no “Crowned and Kissed” or “I Know You Know” for you. But, hey, you’ll be one of a small cadre of folks on the planet who get a first listen to her newest songs.

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Besides music, what else will she and her band perform?

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Spalding has been quoted more than a few times saying the D+Evolution tour was influenced by surrealist poets and New York City’s experimental theater movement. She told writer James Chute, in a piece published by the San Diego Union Tribune this month, that the show will feature “live musical vignettes.” In snippets from the show we’ve seen, Emily and Co. are straight-up spitting soliloquies along with the tunes.

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What about her big Afro?

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In her official press photos and the performance videos we’ve seen, the Afro has morphed into long braids. She’s also been seen sporting Warby Parker-flavored spectacles and shiny disco pants. The Washington Post’s Robin Givhan recently expounded on the acclaimed artist’s new look: “While Spalding is known for her ... eccentric glamour ... Emily’s clothes are vaguely dowdy and a little bit old-fashioned.” Still, Givhan noted that her gear “would look at home being marched down a Prada runway.” The ‘fro will be missed, though.

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Bottom line: Is Emily’s D+Evolution any good?

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We like what we’ve seen so far. Spalding has taken a big leap into the unknown with this new name, new look, and new music. Hell, we might as well take the leap with her.