Chamber Music Society


Chamber Music Society is the third studio album by American bassist Esperanza Spalding. After Spalding's Grammy win, the album re-entered the Billboard 200 at number 34 with sales of 18,000.
A video was made for the song "Little Fly". The song is a poem by William Blake set to music by Spalding.
A vinyl version of the album was released in February 2011. This version of the album included a bonus track titled "Morning" which was to be included on her Radio Music Society album.
Chamber Music Society was the best-selling contemporary jazz album of 2011.

Reception

Bill Friskics-Warren of Washington Post noted "The mood throughout the album's 11 tracks is languid and improvisatory, with Spalding and members of her chamber ensemble weaving in and out of roomy arrangements that afford them as much chance to linger on a note as to take off on flights of melodic or rhythmic fancy. Their fusion of jazz, contemporary classical and other sources, including some understated funk, is as lively as it is original".
Zachary Sniderman of Paste Magazine wrote "Spalding’s voice is the warm heart of Chamber Music Society. Her best songs are anchored by that core, despite some experimental slips into the jazz deep-end. Spalding does better carving out a soundscape than acting like a sonic bulldozer. Still, Chamber Music Society is a fresh, slender album that shows both Spalding’s immense talent and the heart within it".

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Esperanza Spalding, except where noted.
  1. "Little Fly" – 3:33
  2. "Knowledge of Good and Evil" – 7:59
  3. "Really Very Small" – 2:44
  4. "Chacarera" – 7:27
  5. "Wild Is the Wind" – 5:37
  6. "Apple Blossom" – 6:02
  7. "As a Sprout" – 0:41
  8. "What a Friend" – 4:54
  9. "Winter Sun" – 6:48
  10. "Inútil Paisagem" – 4:38
  11. "Short and Sweet" – 5:52

    Personnel