Get Lit: esperanza spalding and Bilal Perform

Summary

All Of It Podcast Summary
Episode: Get Lit: Esperanza Spalding and Bilal Perform
Host: Alison Stewart
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Duration: Approximately 17 minutes

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Event Overview

In this episode of All Of It, hosted by Alison Stewart on WNYC, listeners are treated to an exclusive look into the sold-out "Get Lit" event held in February. The episode spotlights a unique collaboration between Grammy Award-winning bassist Esperanza Spalding and Grammy-winning producer and vocalist Bilal. This marked the first-ever collaboration between the two artists, which captivated the audience and hinted at the possibility of future joint performances.

Special Performance: "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder

The episode opens with a mesmerizing live performance of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" by Esperanza Spalding and Bilal. Their rendition blends Esperanza's rich bass lines with Bilal's soulful vocals, creating an intimate and emotionally charged atmosphere for the audience.

Notable Quotes:

• Bilal (02:11): "Of love."
• Esperanza Spalding (03:39): "Just to find that I found what I searched to discover."
• Bilal (13:21): "Universe, no words, only love."

Behind the Scenes: Formation of the Collaboration

Post-performance, Alison Stewart delves into the genesis of the collaboration between Spalding and Bilal. The partnership began with a simple phone conversation, where it was revealed that the arrangement of "Overjoyed" was initiated by Esperanza.

Notable Quotes:

• Bilal (06:01): "No, it was a phone conversation, and I think it was an arrangement of Esperanza."
• Esperanza Spalding (06:24): "I feel that daring of freedom... radiating from your work."

Artistic Inspirations and Influences

The discussion transitions to the artistic inspirations that shape both musicians. Esperanza shares her deep admiration for Bilal's fearless creativity and expressive freedom, which she finds rare and invaluable in today's music scene.

Notable Quotes:

• Esperanza Spalding (06:24): "The daring of giving oneself permission to be free and to offer forth to the world what you heard and what you truly felt and truly believed."
• Bilal (07:35): "The jazz approach really opens up everything for me and kind of like tears down the walls."

Exploring Jazz and Rhythm & Blues

Both artists explore the significance of jazz and rhythm & blues in their work. Bilal describes rhythm and blues as an evolution of the blues, infused with elements of gospel music, allowing for greater rhythmic complexity and emotional depth.

Notable Quotes:

• Bilal (10:12): "Rhythm and blues was, like, maybe the last evolution of it because it had a little bit of, I don't know, maybe a gospel mix."
• Esperanza Spalding (10:56): "I think of lineage... what you actually have the blues to sing, like, what you actually have to sing about."

Personal Reflections and Growth

Esperanza reflects on her recent residency concluding on March 2, highlighting the personal growth derived from engaging deeply with her music. She acknowledges the healing process of distinguishing between what she genuinely loves and what she previously thought she did.

Notable Quotes:

• Esperanza Spalding (12:08): "I'm being reminded of the things I most love... when I'm doing them every night, I find out maybe I don't love as much as I thought."

Preview of Upcoming Music: "Quantum Universe"

Building anticipation for future performances, Bilal introduces a track from his latest album, "Just Brightness", titled "Quantum Universe." The collaborative performance of this song showcases their synergy and mutual respect for each other's artistry.

Notable Quotes:

• Bilal (12:42): "It's a tune off of, you know, my latest record of Just Brightness, titled Quantum Universe."

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with another heartfelt performance of "Quantum Universe," reinforcing the powerful connection between Esperanza Spalding and Bilal. Alison Stewart concludes by highlighting the significance of the collaboration and its impact on the cultural tapestry celebrated by All Of It.

Notable Quotes:

• Alison Stewart (17:06): "This is all of It."

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Key Takeaways

• Collaboration Highlights: The first-time collaboration between Esperanza Spalding and Bilal was a resounding success, blending jazz, R&B, and soulful vocals.

• Artistic Freedom: Both artists emphasize the importance of creative freedom and authenticity in their music, drawing inspiration from diverse influences.

• Cultural Lineage: Esperanza discusses the significance of understanding and honoring the lineage of the blues, ensuring that her expressions are deeply rooted in personal and ancestral experiences.

• Personal Growth: Engaging in consistent performances allows artists like Esperanza to refine their passions and focus on what truly resonates with them.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Bilal (02:11): "Of love."
• Esperanza Spalding (06:24): "I feel that daring of freedom... radiating from your work."
• Bilal (07:35): "The jazz approach really opens up everything for me and kind of like tears down the walls."
• Bilal (10:12): "Rhythm and blues was, like, maybe the last evolution of it because it had a little bit of, I don't know, maybe a gospel mix."
• Esperanza Spalding (10:56): "I think of lineage... what you actually have the blues to sing, like, what you actually have to sing about."
• Esperanza Spalding (12:08): "I'm being reminded of the things I most love... when I'm doing them every night, I find out maybe I don't love as much as I thought."
• Bilal (12:42): "It's a tune off of, you know, my latest record of Just Brightness, titled Quantum Universe."
• Alison Stewart (17:06): "This is all of It."

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This episode of All Of It offers an intimate glimpse into the artistic processes and collaborative spirit of two of today's most innovative musicians. Through thoughtful discussion and captivating performances, Alison Stewart and her guests explore the depths of culture, music, and personal growth, embodying the show's mission to engage and celebrate the diverse cultural landscape of New York City.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

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[Alison Stewart]

Listener supported. You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Our February get lit event with author Imani Perry was all about the color blue. And of course that included a discussion of music, the blues and its musical legacies. So we were thrilled to feature an extra special one of a kind musical collaboration between two artists who have built on those legacies in jazz, R and B and all kinds of other ways. Grammy Award winning bassist Esperanza Spalding and Grammy winning producer and vocalist Bilal took the stage together at our sold out event. It's the first time they've ever collaborated. But since it went so well, maybe it won't be the last. We'll hear more about that collaboration in just a bit. But first let's kick things off with some music. This is Bilal and Esperanza Spalding with a special performance of Overjoyed by Stevie Wonder.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Over time I've been building my castle.

[Bilal]

Of love.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Though you never knew it was of you I'd been dreaming I've come much too far for you now to say that I have to throw.

[Bilal]

My castle away Overdream I have picked out a perfect come true Though you never ever knew it was you I was dreaming the same man has come from too far away for you to say Come back some other day and if you don't believe them they do Dream come true do come true for.

[Esperanza Spalding]

My dreams come true when I looked.

[Bilal]

At you and maybe two of you do believe you were to be overjoyed Overjoy over love over me.

[Esperanza Spalding]

All the hearts I have painfully turned every stone.

[Bilal]

Just to find that I found what I searched to discover I have come much too far for me now to.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Find the love that I sought can never be mine and you can believe.

[Bilal]

That they do come true My dream.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Come to an eye looked at you.

[Bilal]

And maybe to me you to overjoy.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Over love over me and though the odds say impossible what do they know?

[Bilal]

What do they know you do like us? I'm over joy over love over love all over me Ra.

[Interviewer]

That was amazing. I could just listen to him. Can you play more?

[Bilal]

No.

[Interviewer]

How did that come together, Bilal? How did you guys decide what song to play? How to Play it. Tell us a little bit how that came about.

[Bilal]

No, it was a phone conversation, and I think it was an arrangement of Esperanza. So.

[Interviewer]

Esperanza, you put together for Harper's Bazaar a playlist, and the second person on your playlist was.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Ash was the first.

[Interviewer]

He was. The first on your playlist was Bilal. What do you admire about Bilal?

[Esperanza Spalding]

Yeah. Oh, gosh. That's a whole other conversation, like a whole deep dive. I would love to write a paper about that, but I just. I feel that daring of freedom, the daring of giving oneself permission to be free and to offer forth to the world what you heard and what you truly felt and truly believed. And as much as we say we value that, I actually find it kind of a rare quality. And I really hear that radiating from your work. And I love that album so much. And it's funny because, well, I don't want us to give a spoiler to the next song, but, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll just give it. There was this one song on it, and, like, I hear that song in my head all the time. I love it so much. And. But I didn't want to. When we were talking about what songs to play, I was kind of, like, thinking of that in my head, but I didn't want to say it for some reason. And then he was like, what about Quantum Universe? You mentioned it on the playlist, and I was like, okay, so, yeah, I.

[Interviewer]

Want to talk about both your records that you've had out. You wrote I am a jazz Musician first. Bilal. How did that shape your approach to your record?

[Bilal]

Well, just like she said it, the jazz approach really opens up everything for me and kind of like tears down the walls. And you can be free with it, or you can use it to be analytical. So it was just. It's a good medium to kind of, like, open my scope.

[Interviewer]

For your record. You experimented with what's his name? Milson? Milton Nacimento. Is that his name?

[Esperanza Spalding]

He is a portal. And so many ones that we know and love in North American music culture found their permission through the portal of him. And it's something about the way, like, the Global south, legends don't, like, rise up to North America in the acknowledgment of notoriety. And he's one of those ones. You know, Herbie was down in the 60s checking out his songs with his little portable recording device, recording songs that Milton was playing. You know, like, oh, what's that about? Philip Bailey credits Milton Nascimento with giving him permission to sing the way he sang, you know, he's. He's in the DNA. He is the DNA of. So much has happened. But I digress. Milton Nascimento is. How you say his name.

[Interviewer]

What have you learned from him? We talked about how everybody else learned from him. What did you learn from him?

[Esperanza Spalding]

There's so many things. One that really pops out is, gosh, while the influence of loving someone and all the valences of love. I learned a new valence of love for, like, an elder. And I learned about how the, like, the offering of that particular kind of encouraging love just, like, unlocked or made like, way for him to find more of himself. And maybe sometimes we think that the direction of, like, support is going one way from people that we admire who are, like, older than us or whatever. And I think I learned, like, whoa, just the, like, the power of making, like, legible. The love that you have for someone is. Is part of the reciprocity, I guess, of. Of being guided and helped by the ones that we admire. And that was a very powerful lesson that I. I want to get better at practicing with, you know, other ones that I could never give back for all you've given me.

[Interviewer]

You know, just in Imani's beautiful book, there's so much discussion of the blues and rhythm and blues and the blue note. What is the. What do rhythm and blues. What does that mean to you exactly.

[Bilal]

That, you know, rhythm and blues life is that, you know, the way I look at it. And, well, the blues kind of evolves every, like, I'd say, 20, 30 years or so. So I think rhythm and blues was, like, maybe the last evolution of it because it had a little bit of, I don't know, maybe a gospel mix. So maybe that's where the rhythm part came from.

[Interviewer]

What does the blues mean to you, Esperanza?

[Esperanza Spalding]

I don't feel qualified to speak on that right in this moment, but I think of lineage. The first thing that's coming up is lineage and something about, like, knowing what you actually have the blues to sing, like, what you actually have to sing about, what blues you actually have to sing about. And I think about the ways that maybe when we study people's performances of their own blues, it's easy in, like, a pedagogical context to think you can emulate the performance, but it's not. It's, like, decontextualized from the actual heart of the sentiment that led to that performance. So I guess I think about lineage of, like, what was making the ones before me sing the blues. And I Think about if I'm going to have a relationship with a blues or the blues or the blue note. Making sure that it's the origin is my life. The origin is my actual depth of feeling or ancestral feeling. That's what I think of.

[Interviewer]

And you finish, finish up your residency on March 2. What does the residency meant to you?

[Esperanza Spalding]

I'm being reminded of the things I most love and the things that maybe I convinced myself I loved in music, but when I'm doing them every night, I find out maybe I don't love as much as I thought. So that's been very actually healing for me to be like, oh, this is what I actually really like. And the set is becoming more and more that and less and less of the things I feel I'm supposed to do. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

O Next story, the next song we're going to hear, you already gave us gave it away. But tell us what we're going to hear next.

[Bilal]

It's a tune off of, you know, my latest record of Just Brightness, titled Quantum Universe.

[Interviewer]

So.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Okay.

[Bilal]

In the language of the.

Universe, no words, only love. I was running from light into the dark Just trying to find my way back to the divine but you can't run away from God the God in you now who is God? I woke up with the sun in my heart I realized it's all a part of me Stars above falling rain Fall in love oh, how do we believe that we are only make believe oh, how do we forget that we are only make believe Believe we believe.

In.

Working all day Then you realize that it's all slim picking working 9 to 5 to your heartache Thinking out loud now who was I kidding? Quantum Uno universe We open the door Give me a holiday Holiday Give me a holiday when you remember the truth too make it reality oh.

[Esperanza Spalding]

You are.

[Bilal]

You are who you believe who you are you are, you are who you believe Light comes after dark Just open your heart close your eyes to see when you return again Right back where you started from and on and on until you break the chain oh, how do we forget that we only make believe oh, how do we forget that we are light on you Beautiful Working all day Then you realize that it's all stiff again working 9 to 5 till your heartache Thinking out loud now who was I kidding? Would you open the door? Give me a holiday Give me a holiday Holiday Give me a. You want that girl? You want the money up front? You want that car out front? Oh, man, please. Make your reality make your reality make your reality make your reality make your reality. Reality.

[Esperanza Spalding]

Make it reality.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Esperanza, Spalding and Bilal with a special one of a kind collaborative performance of Bilal's song Quantum Universe from our February get lit with all of it book Club event. This is all of It.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

WNYC Studios is supported by Carnegie hall, which presents upcoming piano recitals and concertos featuring Nobuyuki Tsuji, Leif, Ova Ansnes, Mitsuko Uchira and Evgeny Kissin this spring. Tickets and [e-mail] Piano for 140 years, MultiCare has been in Washington prioritizing long term solutions, partnering with local communities and expanding access to care. Together, we're building a healthier future. Learn [e-mail].