eMusic

Start Your Trial

Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding

Rate it!

Avg: 5.0 (21 ratings)

  • Born: 1984 in Portland, OR
  • Years Active: 2000s

Smooth, sweet jazz from a soulful newcomer


Biography

Hailed as a prodigy on the acoustic double bass within months of first touching the instrument as a 15-year-old, Esperanza Spalding has emerged as a fine jazz bassist, but has also distinguished herself playing blues, funk, hip-hop, pop fusion, and Brazilian and Afro-Cuban styles as well. Born in Portland, OR in 1984, Spalding was not well served by the public school system and soon dropped out of classes to be home schooled. Returning to the public school system at 15, she encountered her first acoustic bass (she had already been playing violin for several years) and immediately took to the instrument. Dropping out of school again, Spalding enrolled in classes at Portland State University as a 16-year-old, and earned her B.A. in just three years and was immediately hired as an instructor in the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston in the spring of 2005. After touring and playing with a whole host of artists, including Joe Lovano, Patti Austin, Michel Camilo, Charlie Haden, Regina Carter, Pat Metheny, Dave Samuels, and a host of others, in addition to heading her own jazz trio, Spalding recorded and released Junjo on the Barcelona-based AYVA imprint in 2006, following it with the simply named Esperanza on Heads Up Records in 2008.
— Steve Leggett , All Music Guide


Related Artists Ancestors, Peers and Acolytes

Similar Artists:

Marcus Miller, Marcus Miller, Michael Brecker, Regina Belle, Marcus Miller

The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.


Rolling Stone
Start Your Trial

© 1998-2008 eMusic.com Inc. eMusic and the eMusic logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks in the USA or other countries. All rights reserved.

All Music Guide © 1992 - 2008 All Media Guide, LLC
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC

YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia® are registered trademarks of their respective owners, Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. and Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Neither Google, Inc., Yahoo! Inc. nor Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. are partners or sponsors of eMusic. eMusic uses the Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia API but is not endorsed or certified by Flickr, YouTube and Wikipedia. eMusic does not pre-screen, monitor, endorse nor assume any liability for websites, contents, products, services or claims made by YouTube, Flickr™ and Wikipedia®.