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Music Out Now

Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society

'Radio Music Society' is a companion, rather than a sequel, to Esperanza Spalding's previous disc, 2010's 'Chamber Music Society', which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart.

"Originally I thought it would be fun to release a double album," she explains, "One disc with an intimate, subtle exploration of chamber works and a second one in which jazz musicians explore song forms and melodies that are formatted more along the lines of what we would categorise as 'pop songs'.

"Those are the two things that really interest me, and it intrigues me to think about different presentation approaches while writing each kind of song. On the pop song side, I think about listeners who aren't into jazz, but I also think about the people within my musical community who can interpret each idea best."

'Radio Song', the album's opening track, both sets the tone and confirms the aptness of Spalding's "radio music" metaphor. "Everyone has the experience of turning on a car radio," she explains, "mindlessly flipping through the dial and suddenly a fragment grabs you and you're totally digging it. I wanted to capture that moment when the music just sinks in. It's about the power of song, and how at the least it can save the day."

Fleshing out the concept with original music was second nature to Spalding. "I have this book of music that I've written, and so much of it fit either the 'Chamber Music' or 'Radio Music' concept. Songs develop for me in fragments, so for these projects, I took my notes and organised them into coherent works of music."

In the process, Spalding added her original, affirmative perspective to classic radio music themes. Songs about love run a full gamut. 'Hold On Me' is a narrative of unrequited love, inspired by people who cling to dreams of relationships that can never be realised. 'Let Her', one of Spalding's older compositions, was inspired by "different people I've known who are in miserable situations, then complain when they end". 'Cinnamon Tree', written to cheer up a friend, celebrates platonic love, and Spalding's belief that "the love between friends is just as important as romantic love".