Esperanza Spalding Gives Life In 'Lest We Forget'


After releasing her captivating concept album 12 Little Spells in October of last year, to the delight of vinyl-lovers everywhere, bassist-vocalist Esperanza Spalding recently re-issued the project, this time in physical form with the addition of four new songs. Each track is an intense and intimate exploration of different components of the body. Her latest single “Lest We Forget” depicts the embodiment and essentiality of the blood coursing through each of our veins. The lyrics paint a vivid soundscape as she sings, “A constant tone accompanying the incessant muscling / Pumping us in out, in out, in out, in out, in out, in out / The vowel of self / Blood is steadying.”

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The Jordan Phelps-directed visual captures Esperanza weaving red yarn throughout a vast forest. Barefoot and adorned in a crimson dress, she seems tiny compared to her surroundings, taking in all of its beauty, from the giant oak trees to the leaves and flowers.  She handles each with care, as every element turns a ruby hue when grazed by her string. The enchanting capture likely serves as a metaphor to the interconnectedness of all living creatures, large and small, with blood as our common and most vital force.

Watch Esperanza Spalding’s “Lest We Forget” below, and be sure to add the full project to your collection from the digital platform or physical retailer of your choice. SoulBouncers in Charleston, SC can grab tickets to catch her at the Spoleto Festival this Memorial Day weekend, and fans in California can catch her at the 50th Anniversary Concord Jazz Festival in August.

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