Esperanza Spalding Wants Us To 'Move Many (joints)' Freely


Given her ability to leave us bewitched, bothered and bewildered, we think Esperanza Spalding picked the perfect title for her latest album, 12 Little Spells. This past May, she enchanted us once again with a deluxe reissue of the 2018 project, featuring four new song-spells dedicated to the awe and enigma of the human body. So far, the visuals have been just as captivating as the music itself. "Lest We Forget" was a scarlet-hued masterpiece dedicated to the life-sustaining power of blood, while "How To" delivered a stunning monochromatic portrait of our natural crowns. Now the artist returns with a third telegenic, a celebration of the body's joints called "Move Many (joints)."

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Ms. Spalding explains the inspiration behind the bass-driven groove and video, saying, "'Move Many' is dedicated to the activation of one’s many different ways of moving through their/this world. Particularly ways that haven’t been explored yet…sometimes the next move, can feel as immense as spending your whole life as a 2D figure, and realizing you have a whole 3D plane to work with!” We see this 2D/3D concept play out on screen as it depicts an everyday routine that most of us can relate to. An animated figure spends the night tossing and turning, only to wake up and prepare for another day spinning wheels in the rat race. But it soon becomes apparent that this day will be anything but ordinary.

Directed by Jordan Phelps, the short film owes much of its look to Sarah Fornace and her Manual Cinema team, a performance collective specializing in shadow puppetry and innovative cinema techniques. Scroll down to watch Esperanza Spalding unlock her "flower power" and break free of the norm in "Move Many (joints)," then get caught up in 12 Little Spells by visiting her website or your favorite digital outlet.

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