Live Review: Esperanza Spalding

Name-checked by Prince earlier this year, Esperanza Spalding at last takes the opportunity to introduce herself to Australian audiences. Fans queue up outside Forum Theatre in droves for the privilege.

Gliding out onto the stage in a huge black evening gown, a little like the alien in Mars Attacks!, Spalding (in an afro wig) moves strangely in slow motion before lifting the gown over her head and turning it into a tent. It's in here that the Spalding everyone knows metamorphosises and emerges as the glamorously dreadlocked Emily. Deploying the Bowie-esque device of embracing a persona, Spalding becomes Emily, who is hell bent on dealing a furious fusion of jazz, rock, soul and funk. It's a huge stylistic shift for Spalding who works with the essential energy of a three-piece supported by a trio of backing singers who look as though they couldn't find anyone to show them the way back to Sesame Street. Showcasing Emily's D+Evolution, the rather theatrical presentation of what is essentially a concept album feels a little twee when it's clear that everyone on stage is indulging in play acting or worse: some kind of role play. Nonetheless, an eruption of Good Lava has it flowing thick in the mix.

Spalding and her band deal explosive arrangements that push and pull between traditional jazz, funk, pop and psychedelic rock — often all at the same time. The mind-melting mix is dense, intricate and almost academic in its approach. There is so much on offer that it's hardly surprising Spalding is able to simultaneously draw a crowd of old and young music lovers. Grinding that bass, Spalding seemingly loses herself in the more ferocious moments of the jam. Longer versions of the tunes on the album give them the opportunity to breathe and grow into the shoes Spalding has made for them. Layered over the intensity of the music are Spalding's effortless vocals that roll up and down the octaves, dealing in lyrics that maintain a certain positivity. This is best exemplified by Funk The Fear, which has a sweet Funkadelic vibe. Spalding is easier to digest when she isn't trying to pack as much as she possibly can into every minute. The pop hooks of Unconditional Love — which breaks down into a heavy, psychedelic jam — offers a certain space in the mix that makes Spalding suddenly a whole lot more accessible.

Having run through Emily's D+Evolution, Spalding returns for a solo encore delivering a heart-rending a cappella take on Little Fly and proving herself to be the very definition of Nina Simone's ...Young, Gifted And Black.