Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s, a
Boston Music Award, and a
Soul Train Music Award
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
.
A native of
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
, Spalding began playing music professionally in her childhood, performing as a violinist in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at age five. She was later both self-taught and trained on other instruments, including guitar and bass. Her proficiency earned her academic scholarships to
Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
and the
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
, both of which she attended, studying music.
Spalding released her first album, ''
Junjo'', in 2006 on the Spanish label Ayva Musica, after which she signed with the independent American label
Heads Up, who released her 2007
self-titled album. Her third studio album, ''
Chamber Music Society
''Chamber Music Society'' is the third studio album by American bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. It was released on August 17, 2010 by Heads Up International. After Spalding's Grammy win for Best New Artist, the album re-entered the ''Bi ...
'' (2010), was a commercial success, charting at number 34 on the ''
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
'', and resulting in Spalding winning her first Grammy Award for
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
; Spalding was the first jazz artist to win in this category.
She saw further acclaim for her fourth release, ''
Radio Music Society
''Radio Music Society'' is the fourth studio album by Esperanza Spalding, which was released through the record label Heads Up International on March 20, 2012. The album earned Spalding Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Instrumental ...
'' (2012), which earned the Grammy for
Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the vocal jazz ...
, as well as the track "City of Roses" winning for
Best Arrangement, Instrument and Vocals.
After spending the following several years performing as a supporting band player, Spalding released her fifth studio album, a
funk rock
Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stat ...
-inspired
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
titled ''
Emily's D+Evolution
''Emily's D+Evolution'' is the fifth studio album by American musician Esperanza Spalding, released on 4 March 2016 by Concord Records.
Background
The album was co-produced by Spalding and longtime David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti. On th ...
'', co-produced by
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
, on
Concord Records
Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists have ...
. The following year, she released the album ''
Exposure'', which was limited to 7,777 copies. Her subsequent sixth studio record, ''
12 Little Spells'', was released in 2019, and peaked at number one on ''Billboard's
Top Jazz Albums
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
''. The album also saw Spalding nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category.
In addition to writing and performing music, Spalding has also worked as an instructor, first at the Berklee College of Music, beginning at age 20. In 2017, Spalding was appointed professor of the Practice of Music at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. In 2018, Spalding received an honorary doctorate of music from her alma mater, Berklee College of Music, and served as commencement speaker at the ceremony.
Life and career
1984–2003: Early life and education
Esperanza Emily Spalding
was born October 18, 1984, in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
,
to an African American father and a mother of Welsh, Native American, and Hispanic descent. She was raised in the
King neighborhood of
northeast Portland
Northeast Portland is one of the six major divisions of Portland, Oregon.
Northeast Portland contains a diverse collection of neighborhoods. For example, while Irvington and the Alameda Ridge feature some of the oldest and most expensive homes i ...
,
a neighborhood at that time known for
gang violence.
Her mother raised Spalding and her brother as a single parent.
During her childhood, Spalding suffered from
juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common, chronic rheumatic disease of childhood, affecting approximately one per 1,000 children. ''Juvenile'', in this context, refers to disease onset before 16 years of age, while ''idiopathic'' r ...
,
and as a result spent much of her elementary school years being
home-schooled
Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an onlin ...
,
[ though she also attended King Elementary School in northeast Portland.] During this period, Spalding found the opportunity to pick up instruction in music by listening to her mother's college professor, who instructed her mother in jazz guitar. Spalding said that she sometimes accompanied her mother to classes, sat listening under the piano, then at home repeated what the teacher had played.[ Spalding remained in the King neighborhood of Portland until age ten, when she relocated with her family to the suburbs of Portland.
Spalding's mother took note of her daughter's musical proclivity when Spalding was able to reproduce ]Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
by ear on the family's piano at a young age. Spalding herself credited watching classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
perform on an episode of ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' deb ...
'' as an integral part of her childhood, and it inspired her to pursue music.[ By the time Spalding was five, she had learned to play the ]violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
and began performing professionally with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon.[ She remained with the group until she was 15 years old, and left as ]concertmaster
The concertmaster (from the German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (U.K.) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (or clarinet in a concert band). After the conductor, the concertmaster is the second-most signifi ...
.[ Though she has been described as a musical ]prodigy
Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to:
* Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer
** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess
Arts, entertainment, and ...
,[ Spalding has denounced this title, commenting in 2010: "I am surrounded by prodigies everywhere I go, but because they are a little older than me, or not a female, or not on a major label, they are not acknowledged as such."]
Spalding also played oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
and clarinet in her youth before discovering the double bass
The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
while attending The Northwest Academy
Northwest Academy is an independent, arts-focused middle and high school (grades 6–12) in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The school is accredited by the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). Teachers include former coll ...
, a performing arts high school to which she had won a scholarship. She began performing live in clubs in Portland as a teenager, securing her first gig in a blues club at the age of 15, when she could play only one line on bass.[ One of the seasoned musicians with whom she played invited her to join the band's rehearsals, which led to regular performances spanning almost a year.][ According to Spalding, this served as a chance for her to learn and sharpen her abilities as a musician.][ When she was 15 or 16 years old, Spalding joined the local indie rock/pop group Noise for Pretend as a singer and lyricist.][ Although she had taken a few private voice lessons, which taught her how to project her voice, she said that her primary singing experience at the time had come from singing in the shower.][ Her desire to perform live evolved naturally out of the compositional process, when she would sing and play simultaneously to see how melody and voice fit together, but she acknowledges that performing both roles together can be challenging.]
Spalding dropped out of The Northwest Academy at the age of 16, and after completing her GED
The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high ...
, enrolled on a music scholarship in the music program at Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
, where she remembers being "the youngest bass player in the program."[ Although she lacked the training of her fellow students, she feels that her teachers nevertheless recognized her talent.][ She decided to apply to ]Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
on the encouragement of her bass teacher, and did well enough in her audition to receive a full scholarship. In spite of the scholarship, Spalding found meeting living expenses a challenge, so her friends arranged a benefit concert that paid her airfare.[ Spalding's savings did not last long and she considered leaving music for political science,] a move jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer.
He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...
discouraged. He told her that she had "the 'X Factor'" and could make it if she applied herself.
2004–2007: Career beginnings, teaching, and ''Junjo''
Gary Burton
Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...
, Executive Vice President at Berklee, said in 2004 that Spalding had "a great time feel, she can confidently read the most complicated compositions, and she communicates her upbeat personality in everything she plays."[
]Ben Ratliff
Ben Ratliff (born 1968 in New York City) is an American journalist, music critic and author.
Ratliff is the son of an English mother and an American father, growing up in London and in Rockland County, New York.
From 1996 to 2016, he wrote a ...
wrote in ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' in 2006 that Spalding's voice is "light and high, up in Blossom Dearie
Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She had a recognizably light and girlish voice. Profile at AllMusic/ref> Dearie performed regular engagements in London and New York City o ...
's pitch range, and hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
she can sing quietly, almost in a daydream" and that Spalding "invents her own feminine space, a different sound from top to bottom."[Ratliff, Ben (July 9, 2006)]
"Suite for Gas Pump and Coffin Lid"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Spalding was the 2005 recipient of the Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship.[ Almost immediately after graduation from college later the same year, Spalding was hired by Berklee College of Music to teach bass performance and private lessons,][Spaddy, Raymond (November 11, 2007)]
"Esperanza Spalding: The OnTheGig Interview"
'' On The Gig''. becoming one of the youngest instructors in the institution's history, at the age of 20. As a teacher, Spalding tries to help her students focus their practice through a practice journal, which can help them recognize their strengths and what they need to pursue.[
Her debut album, '' Junjo'', was released in April 2006 by Ayva Music.] It was created to display the dynamic that she felt among her trio.[ Though ''Junjo'' was released solely under her name, Spalding considers it a group effort.][
]
2008–2010: ''Esperanza''
When asked in 2008 why she plays the bass instead of some other instrument, Spalding said that it was not a choice, but the bass "had its own arc" and resonated with her. Spalding has said that, for her, discovering the bass was like "waking up one day and realizing you're in love with a co-worker."[ By the time she randomly picked up the bass in music class and began experimenting with it, she had grown bored with her other instruments.] Her band teacher showed her a blues line for the bass that she later used to secure her first gig.[ After that, she went in to play the bass daily and gradually fell in love.][
Ratliff wrote in 2008 that one of Spalding's central gifts is "a light, fizzy, optimistic drive that's in her melodic bass playing and her elastic, small-voiced singing," but that "the music is missing a crucial measure of modesty."] He added, "It's an attempt at bringing this crisscrossing f_Stevie_Wonder_and_Wayne_Shorter.html" ;"title="Stevie_Wonder.html" ;"title="f Stevie Wonder">f Stevie Wonder and Wayne Shorter">Stevie_Wonder.html" ;"title="f Stevie Wonder">f Stevie Wonder and Wayne Shorter] to a new level of definition and power, but its vamps and grooves are a little obvious, and it pushes her first as a singer-songwriter, which isn't her primary strength."[
]Pat Metheny
Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer.
He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...
said in 2008 it was immediately obvious "that she had a lot to say ..she has that rare 'x' factor of being able to transmit a certain personal kind of vision and energy that is all her own." Andrés Quinteros wrote in the Argentinian periodical ''26Noticias'' in 2008 that Spalding is one of the greatest new talents on the jazz scene today. Patti Austin hired Spalding to tour with her internationally after Spalding's first semester at Berklee,[ where Spalding supported the singer on the ]Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
tribute tour "For Ella".[
In 2008, Spalding recalled the tour as educational, helping her learn to accompany a vocalist and also how to sustain energy and interest playing the same material nightly.][ She continued to perform with Austin periodically for three years.][ During the same period, while at Berklee, Spalding studied under saxophonist ]Joe Lovano
Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...
, before eventually touring with him.[ They began as a trio, expanding into a quartet before joining quintet US5 and traveling across the United States from New York to California.][ As of 2008, she was also in the process of developing several courses for students at Berklee, including one learning harmony and theory through transcribing.][ Due to touring commitments, Spalding stopped giving classes at Berklee. She resides in both ]New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
and Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, Texas.
''Esperanza
Esperanza is the Spanish word for hope, and may refer to:
Places Philippines
* Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, a municipality
* Esperanza, Masbate, a municipality
* Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, a municipality
United States
* Esperanza, Mississippi, ...
'' is Spalding's second studio album. After Spalding's Grammy win in February 2011, the album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at 138. With ''Esperanza'', Spalding's material was meant to be more reflective of herself as an artist, with musicians selected to best present that material.[ Ed Morales from ]PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
wrote that ''Esperanza'' is "a sprawling collage of jazz fusion, Brazilian, and even a touch of hip-hop." Siddhartha Mitter wrote in ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' that Spalding's singing was noticeably different in ''Esperanza'', making it more mainstream and attractive to a broader audience.
In December 2009, at the Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
ceremonies, Spalding performed at Oslo City Hall
Oslo City Hall ( no, Oslo rådhus) is a municipal building in Oslo, the capital of Norway. It houses the city council, the city's administration and various other municipal organisations. The building as it stands today was constructed between ...
in honor of the 2009 Laureate U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
, and again at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert (Norwegian and Swedish: '')'' has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in Oslo City Hall, while the concert has been ...
the following day. She was personally selected by Obama, as per the tradition of having one laureate-invited-artist perform.
Spalding was also the featured final act for the opening night of the 2009 Park City Jazz Festival in Park City
Park City may refer to: a city in Utah.
Places
* National Park City, London, England, UK; see parks and open spaces in London
in the United States
* Park City, Illinois
* Park City, Kansas
* Park City, Kentucky
* Park City, Montana
* Park City, ...
, Utah. She closed the show with a number along with bass artists Brian Bromberg
Brian Bromberg (born December 5, 1960) is an American jazz bassist and record producer who performs on both electric and acoustic instruments.
Biography
Bromberg was born on December 5, 1960, in Tucson, Arizona. His father and brother, David, ...
and Sean O'Bryan Smith, who also performed earlier that day. As a tribute to Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
, Spalding was invited to sing along with Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman.
LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul".
She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
, Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
and Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Mon ...
. Spalding performed the 1987 hit single "If I Was Your Girlfriend
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" is the second single from American musician Prince's 1987 double album ''Sign o' the Times''. The song was a hit in the United Kingdom but was only a minor hit in America. It was originally from the '' Camille'' project ...
".
2011–2015: ''Chamber Music Society'' and ''Radio Music Society''
In 2011, Spalding collaborated with Tineke Postma on the track "Leave Me a Place Underground" from the album ''The Dawn of Light''. She also collaborated with Terri Lyne Carrington
Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and ma ...
on the album '' The Mosaic Project'', where she features on the track "Crayola". Spalding also sang a duet with Nicholas Payton
Nicholas Payton (born September 26, 1973) is an American trumpet player and multi-instrumentalist. A Grammy Award winner, he is from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a prolific and provocative writer who comments on a multitude of subjects, inc ...
on the track "Freesia" from the 2011 album ''Bitches of Renaissance''.
In the 53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...
that year, Spalding won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
.
''Chamber Music Society
''Chamber Music Society'' is the third studio album by American bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. It was released on August 17, 2010 by Heads Up International. After Spalding's Grammy win for Best New Artist, the album re-entered the ''Bi ...
'' is the third album by Spalding. After her surprise Grammy win, the album re-entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at number 34 with sales of 18,000. A video was made for the song "Little Fly". The song is a poem by William Blake
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
set to music by Spalding. A vinyl version of the album was released in February 2011. Commenting on the album, NPR Music
NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
's Patrick Jarenwattananon wrote that, "the finished product certainly exudes a level of sophisticated intimacy, as if best experienced with a small gathering in a quiet, wood-paneled room."
In November 2011, Spalding won "Jazz Artist of the Year" at the Boston Music Awards
Founded in 1987, the Boston Music Awards are a set of music awards given annually that showcase talent in the Boston, Massachusetts, area.
Past shows have featured such notable talent as Aerosmith, Paula Cole, Esperanza Spalding, Boston, Rubyhor ...
.
In February 2012, Spalding performed at the 84th Academy Awards
The 84th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2011 in the United States and took place on February 26, 2012, at the Hollywood and Highland Center Theatre in ...
, singing the Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
standard "What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single. It topped the pop chart in the United Kingdom, but performed poor ...
", alongside the Southern California Children's Chorus to accompany the video montage that celebrated the film industry greats who died in 2011 and early 2012.
''Radio Music Society
''Radio Music Society'' is the fourth studio album by Esperanza Spalding, which was released through the record label Heads Up International on March 20, 2012. The album earned Spalding Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Instrumental ...
'' is Spalding's fourth studio album, released by Heads Up International in March 2012. Spalding hoped this album would showcase jazz musicians in an accessible manner suitable for mainstream radio.
In November 2013, Spalding released a single "We Are America" to protest the Guantánamo
Guantánamo (, , ) is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guantánamo Province.
Guantánamo is served by the Caimanera port near the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, site of a U.S. naval base. The area produces sugarcane and cotton ...
prison camps, with cameo performances by Stevie Wonder and Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...
. In 2015, she appeared on the ''NOVA
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
'' production ''The Great Math Mystery'', talking about the connection between music and mathematics.
2016–present: ''Emily's D+Evolution'', ''Exposure'', and ''12 Little Spells''
In March 2016, Spalding released her fifth studio album, ''Emily's D+Evolution
''Emily's D+Evolution'' is the fifth studio album by American musician Esperanza Spalding, released on 4 March 2016 by Concord Records.
Background
The album was co-produced by Spalding and longtime David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti. On th ...
'', a concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
featuring a funk rock
Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the rock and roll beat, with a biographer stat ...
sound. The album was co-produced by Spalding with longtime David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
collaborator Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
. On the album, Spalding sings through the alter ego of Emily, which is her middle name. In an interview, Spalding stated that Emily "is a spirit, or a being, or an aspect who I met, or became aware of. I recognize that my job... is to be her arms and ears and voice and body". The album and corresponding tour featured musicians Matthew Stevens
Matthew Stevens (born 11 September 1977) is a Welsh professional snooker player. He has won two of the game's Triple Crown events, the Masters in 2000 and the UK Championship in 2003. He has also been a two-time runner-up in the other triple c ...
on guitar, Justin Tyson and Karriem Riggins
Karriem Riggins is an American jazz drummer, hip hop producer, DJ and songwriter.
Biography
Riggins was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, son of keyboardist Emmanuel Riggins. As a child, he would often watch his father perform with G ...
on drums.
In July 2017, Spalding was appointed a Professor of the Practice of Music at Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. Five months later, in December, Spalding released '' Exposure'', which is her sixth studio album. For this project, she embarked on a creative experiment beginning on September 12, 2017, setting out to create the album from start to finish in 77 consecutive hours, while streaming the whole creative process live on Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
. Once completed, she released 7,777 limited edition recordings of the album. The packaging of the physical album included a piece of the original notepaper Esperanza used to write the lyrics and music, allowing those who witnessed the process to own a piece of the creation itself, directly from the source. About the experiment, Spalding stated that the live aspect of it forced her to be more creative, because there was no option to return to the same thing and try again.
From October 7–18, 2018, Spalding released twelve tracks—one per day—that together form her seventh studio album, '' 12 Little Spells''. Each "spell" was accompanied by a music video released on her YouTube channel and correlates to a singular body part. Spalding described the album's experimental structure as a result of her gradual distancing from the title of an "artist", gravitating towards a concept-driven identity. On January 27, 2020, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the vocal jazz ...
.[
In 2020 and 2021, Spalding worked with ]Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davi ...
on a new operatic work titled ''Iphigenia'', with Spalding writing the libretto. The opera premiered in select locations on both coasts of the United States in the fall of 2021 and in February 2022.
On September 24, 2022, National Sawdust
National Sawdust is a nonprofit music producer and venue in Brooklyn, New York with the goal of providing "composers and musicians across genres... a setting where they are given unprecedented support and critical resources essential to create and ...
hosted the premier of the opera, "A Good of Her Own Making," by Spalding and Jojo Abot.
Artistry
Spalding has an interest in the music of other cultures, including that of Brazil, where she once spent a month learning Portuguese.[Carpenter, Ellen (July 27, 2008)]
"Up to Her Ears: A Night Out with Esperanza Spalding"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. She has said that the melody and language of songs in Portuguese are inextricably connected.[ She sings in several languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.]
Influences
Spalding was mentored by Thara Memory
Thara Memory was a trumpeter and educator from Eatonville, Florida. He attended Alabama State University and Marylhurst University. He lived in Portland, Oregon, United States from the 1970s until his death in 2017. His daughter, Tahirah Memory, ...
.[ She has cited jazz bassists ]Ron Carter
Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy awards, and is also a cellist who has recorded nu ...
and Dave Holland
David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years.
His extensive discography r ...
as important influences on her music—Carter for the orchestration of his playing and Holland for the way his compositional method complements his personal style. She has described the saxophone player Wayne Shorter
Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Davi ...
, and singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento
Milton Nascimento (; born October 26, 1942), also known as Bituca, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
He has toured across the world.
Nascimento has won five Grammy Awards, including Best World Music Album for his alb ...
, as heroes. She has also mentioned her preference for the music of Brazil
The music of Brazil encompasses various regional musical styles influenced by European, American, African and Amerindian forms. Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as forró, repente, coco de roda, axé, sertanejo, ...
.
Spalding has said she loves fusion music
A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from ''musical form'' and musical style, although in practice these terms are some ...
and was influenced by a "wonderful arc that started 40 years ago n 2008
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
where people kept incorporating modern sounds into their music."[ Spalding, who has expressed a desire to be judged for her musicianship rather than sex appeal, believes that female musicians must take responsibility to avoid oversexualizing themselves.][ In addition, to write original music, musicians must read and stay informed about the world.] She has said she models her career on those of Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
and Ornette Coleman
Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...
, and also cited Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
as a major musical inspiration. Spalding says that her mom was and will always be her role model.
Instruments
;Electric bass
* Fender Jaco Pastorius Jazz Bass (fretless)
* South Paw Fretless 5-string
* Moollon Chambered Double P5 Fretless Bass
;Acoustic Bass Guitar
* Doolin ABG4
* Godin A5 (semi-acoustic, 5-string, fretless)
;Double bass
* 7/8 double bass (manufacturer unknown)
* Czech-Ease Standard model S1 acoustic road bass
;Amplifiers
* Ampeg
Ampeg is a manufacturer best known for its bass amplifiers. Originally established in 1946 in Linden, New Jersey by Everett Hull and Stanley Michaels as "Michael-Hull Electronic Labs," today Ampeg is part of the Yamaha Guitar Group. Although ...
SVT-4PRO
* Ampeg PN-410HLF cab
;Strings
* Fender 9050M Stainless Steel Flatwound Long Scale (.055–.105)
Personal life
During her time as a student at Berklee she began dating fellow student and jazz trumpeter Christian Scott
Christian Scott (born March 31, 1983), known professionally as Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah), is an American jazz trumpeter, multi instrumentalist, composer, and producer.
He has been nominated for six Gramm ...
. They were in a relationship for four years. In a 2016 interview, Spalding stated she had residences in Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, and Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro ( ) is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Situated in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many high-technology companies, ...
, the latter being where her family resides.[ She is a practitioner of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) tradition of ]Nichiren Buddhism
Nichiren Buddhism ( ja, 日蓮仏教), also known as Hokkeshū ( ja, 法華宗, meaning ''Lotus Sect'') is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282) and is one of ...
.
Philanthropy
During her 2012 tour, Spalding donated a portion of proceeds from merchandise sales to the non-profit organization Free the Slaves
Free the Slaves is an international non-governmental organization and lobby group, established to campaign against the modern practice of slavery around the world. It was formed as the sister organization of Anti-Slavery International but has si ...
. The organization, based in Washington, D.C., works to combat human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
around the world. In 2013, she performed a benefit for the American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra The American Music Program (née Pacific Crest Sinfonietta, Cultural Recreation Band) is a youth jazz band in Portland, Oregon founded by jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator Thara Memory. This non-profit youth music program mentors primary school ...
, a music program founded by her mentor, Thara Memory.
On September 4, 2018, Spalding performed a benefit for Bienestar, a local housing and outreach non-profit based in Hillsboro, Oregon. Several weeks later, she appeared with Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...
at the Lions of Justice Festival, sponsored by Soka Gakkai International
Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an international Nichiren Buddhist organisation founded in 1975 by Daisaku Ikeda, as an umbrella organization of Soka Gakkai, which declares approximately 12 million adherents in 192 countries and territories ...
, to support the respect and dignified treatment of all people.
Spalding also is an advocate for parks and open spaces, and is a supporter of The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a mission to "create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come". Since its founding in 1972, the Trust for Public Land has compl ...
.
Discography
*'' Junjo'' (2006)
*''Esperanza
Esperanza is the Spanish word for hope, and may refer to:
Places Philippines
* Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, a municipality
* Esperanza, Masbate, a municipality
* Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, a municipality
United States
* Esperanza, Mississippi, ...
'' (2008)
*''Chamber Music Society
''Chamber Music Society'' is the third studio album by American bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. It was released on August 17, 2010 by Heads Up International. After Spalding's Grammy win for Best New Artist, the album re-entered the ''Bi ...
'' (2010)
*''Radio Music Society
''Radio Music Society'' is the fourth studio album by Esperanza Spalding, which was released through the record label Heads Up International on March 20, 2012. The album earned Spalding Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Instrumental ...
'' (2012)
*''Emily's D+Evolution
''Emily's D+Evolution'' is the fifth studio album by American musician Esperanza Spalding, released on 4 March 2016 by Concord Records.
Background
The album was co-produced by Spalding and longtime David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti. On th ...
'' (2016)
*'' Exposure'' (2017)
*'' 12 Little Spells'' (2018)
*''Songwrights Apothecary Lab
''Songwrights Apothecary Lab'' is the eighth studio album by American bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. Concord Records released the album on September 24, 2021.
The album debuted at number 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Contemporary Jazz Album ...
'' (2021)
Accolades
References
Sources
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Esperanza Spalding Biography and Interview
in American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
Esperanza Spalding Interview
at ''All About Jazz''
in ''The Star''
Oregon Art Beat: Video of Spalding singing "City of Roses"
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spalding, Esperanza
1984 births
Living people
21st-century American musicians
21st-century American composers
21st-century double-bassists
21st-century American bass guitarists
21st-century American singers
21st-century American women singers
21st-century American women educators
21st-century American educators
21st-century jazz composers
African-American academics
20th-century African-American women singers
African-American guitarists
African-American history of Oregon
African Americans in Oregon
African-American jazz composers
American jazz composers
African-American jazz musicians
African-American women musicians
American jazz bass guitarists
American jazz double-bassists
American jazz singers
American people of Welsh descent
American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent
American women academics
American women jazz singers
Berklee College of Music alumni
Berklee College of Music faculty
Educators from Oregon
Grammy Award winners
Harvard University faculty
Heads Up International artists
Hispanic and Latino American musicians
Hispanic and Latino American teachers
Jazz fusion bass guitarists
Jazz fusion double-bassists
Jazz musicians from Oregon
Merge Records artists
Musicians from Portland, Oregon
Nichiren Buddhists
Portland State University alumni
Singers from Oregon
Women bass guitarists
Women double-bassists
Women music educators
Hispanic and Latino American women singers
21st-century African-American women