Esperanza Spalding
Jazz
The next Esperanza Spalding concert is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, Germany. See all 12 upcoming concerts
Upcoming Concerts for Esperanza Spalding
See All Concerts
More albums from Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Spalding's Popular Music Videos
![Watch Black Gold (special guest: Algebra Blessett) [feat. Algebra Blessett] [Special Guest: Algebra Blessett] music video by Esperanza Spalding](/mkimage/image/thumb/Video/7d/a8/cb/mzi.otqksjrz.jpg/575x575mv.webp "Watch Black Gold (special guest: Algebra Blessett) [feat. Algebra Blessett] [Special Guest: Algebra Blessett] music video by Esperanza Spalding")
About Esperanza Spalding
Hometown
Portland, OR, United States
Born
October 18, 1984
Genre
Jazz
A wellspring of ever-flowing rhythm, Esperanza Spalding is a Grammy-winning American jazz bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer from Portland, Oregon. She was born in 1984 and raised by a mother who juggled work and family with her own music studies, often with her daughter in tow. The younger Spalding’s talent manifested itself early: She started playing violin professionally in the Chamber Music Society of Oregon at five, later picking up guitar, oboe, and clarinet. At age 15, she fell in love with the bass and began performing regularly at a local blues club, an experience that sharpened her skills before heading to Berklee College of Music. With her 2006 debut album, Junjo, and 2008’s self-titled follow-up, Spalding emerged as a new force in modern jazz, melding blues, hip-hop, and Brazilian music with a gauzy, upbeat voice. She became a favorite of former U.S. President Barack Obama, who selected her to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies a year later. Her third LP, Chamber Music Society, was a commercial success and earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2011, setting her up for a bold funk-rock turn on Emily’s D+Evolution (2016) and her appointment as a Professor of the Practice of Music at Harvard University.
Esperanza Spalding has also released music as a member of Noise for Pretend.
Similar to: Esperanza Spalding
Discover more music and artists similar to Esperanza Spalding, like Gretchen Parlato, Esperanza Espalding, Robert Glasper
