HomeEsperanza Spalding12 Little Spells
12 Little Spells
Jazz · 2018 · 16 tracks · 1h 11m

12 Little Spells

A mesmerizing, body-mapped fusion of avant-garde jazz, art pop, and chamber soul. Intimate, unpredictable, and deeply physical.

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Somatic art pop

Warm fingers slide over heavy bass strings while voices layer like velvet in an empty room. Each song targets a different part of your body, from the crown of your head to your solar plexus. It feels like a series of quiet, physical jolts, blending strange jazz chords with sudden, breathing silences.

12 Little Spells · vs · Esperanza Spalding
Surreal Abstract+1.7σ

The record ventures into uncharted territory by adopting surreal abstract poetry as its central lyrical engine, transforming each song into a literal, anatomical spell rather than a traditional narrative.

Tracklist · 16 Tracks · 1h 11m
01
12 Little Spells
4:53
02
To Tide Us Over
4:53
03
’Til the Next Full
4:17
04
Thang
4:35
05
Touch in Mine
4:53
06
The Longing Deep Down
4:35
07
You Have to Dance
3:27
08
Now Know
4:26
09
All Limbs Are
3:36
10
Readying to Rise
5:07
11
Dancing the Animal
5:07
12
With Others
5:52
13
Lest We Forget
5:16
14
How To
3:54
15
Move Many
2:55
16
Ways Together
3:45
Moments Worth Waiting For
0112 Little SpellsThe title track '12 Little Spells' opens the album with a sparse, chant-like vocal arrangement that establishes the record's experimental, therapeutic concept.
11Dancing the AnimalOn 'Dancing the Animal', the instrumentation shifts into a more kinetic, synth-accented groove that mimics the physical mechanics of the body.
Sits BesideSee all
Exposure
Exposure
Esperanza Spalding
2017

Shares avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion, vocal jazz, upright bass (subgenre)

empathogen
empathogen
WILLOW
2024

Shares upright bass, jazz fusion, vocal jazz, forest (signature)

Mingus
Mingus
Joni Mitchell
1979

Shares jazz fusion, vocal jazz, ethereal, spoken_word (subgenre)

Fun Machine
Fun Machine
Lake Street Dive
2012

Shares upright bass, vocal jazz, playful, drums (signature)

She Who Weeps
She Who Weeps
Cassandra Wilson
1991

Shares avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion, vocal jazz, upright bass (subgenre)

Bop‐Be
Bop‐Be
Keith Jarrett
1978

Shares upright bass, avant-garde jazz, dynamic_range, dry_intimate (signature)

Terje Rypdal
Terje Rypdal
Terje Rypdal
1971

Shares avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion, forest, upright bass (subgenre)

Weihnachten bei van den Bergs
Weihnachten bei van den Bergs
Helge Schneider
1992

Shares avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion, vocal jazz, spoken_word (subgenre)

Shadow Theater
Shadow Theater
Tigran Hamasyan
2013

Shares avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion, forest, ethereal (subgenre)

Number Two Express
Number Two Express
Christian McBride
1996

Shares upright bass, avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion, dynamic_range (signature)

Reviews
Critic Consensus

The album was warmly received by critics, who praised its imaginative, body-centered concept and its fluid blending of jazz, R&B, and chamber pop. Reviewers broadly admired the organic richness of the instrumentation, noting how the expressive vocals and poetic lyrics lent the music a gentle, meditative quality.

Tom HullB-
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The Times4/ 5 stars
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Rolling Stone4/ 5 stars
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Paste7.1/ 10
Mojo4/ 5 stars
Jazzwise4/ 5 stars
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Jazz Forum5/ 5 stars
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Jazz Journal4/ 5 stars
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DownBeat3.5/ 5 stars
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AllMusic4/ 5 stars
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