Originally conceived the day before her birthday – during a “sleepless night of full moon inspiration” – Emily’s D Evolution will perform all-new material that Spalding says “unfolds as live musical vignettes.”

“Emily is my middle name and I’m using this fresh persona as my inner navigator. This project is about going back and reclaiming un-cultivated curiosity, and using it as a compass to move forward and expand, says Spalding.

“My hope for this group is to create a world around each song… We will be staging the songs as much as we play them, using characters, video and the movement of our bodies.”

Emily’s D Evolution will open this year’s Festival at the Forum on June 3.