Esperanza Spalding

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Image courtesy of Parallel 62.

Esperanza Spalding is a celebrated bassist, vocalist and multiple Grammy Award winner renowned for her groundbreaking fusion of contemporary jazz with a wide spectrum of musical influences. Since her early releases Junjo (2006) and Esperanza (2008), she has emerged as an extraordinary instrumentalist, composer and genre-defying artist. In 2010, she made history as the first jazz musician to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Born in 1984 in Portland, Oregon, Spalding demonstrated exceptional musical talent from an early age—initially mastering the violin before transitioning to the double bass. She studied at Portland State University and later at Berklee College of Music, where she became the institution’s youngest professor at just 20 years old. Over the years, Spalding has collaborated with some of the most revered artists in the music world and released critically acclaimed live albums, including Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (2022) and Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023). In 2024, she presents Milton Esperanza, a unique collaboration with legendary Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento, blending bossa nova and folk with her unmistakable sonic identity.

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