Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984), sometimes professionally known with the stylized name of esperanza spalding, is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Award, a Soul Train Music Award, and two honorary doctorates: one from her alma mater Berklee College of Music and one from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, 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 and Berklee College of Music, 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 2008 self-titled album. Her third studio album, Chamber Music Society (2010), was a commercial success, charting at number 34 on the Billboard 200, and resulting in Spalding winning her first Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She saw further acclaim for her fourth release, Radio Music Society (2012), which earned the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album, 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-inspired concept album titled Emily's D+Evolution, co-produced by Tony Visconti, on Concord Records. 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 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, a position from which she resigned in 2022.

Life and career 1984–2003: Early life and education Esperanza Emily Spalding was born October 18, 1984, in Portland, Oregon, 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, a neighborhood at that time known for gang violence. Her mother raised Spalding and her brother as a single parent. During her childhood, Spalding had juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and as a result spent much of her elementary school years being home-schooled,

Spalding also played oboe and clarinet in her youth before discovering the double bass while attending The Northwest Academy, a performing arts high school to which she had won a scholarship. She began performing live in clubs in Portland as a teenager,

Spalding dropped out of The Northwest Academy at the age of 16, and after completing her GED, enrolled on a music scholarship in the music program at Portland State University, where she remembers being "the youngest bass player in the program." In spite of the scholarship, Spalding found meeting living expenses a challenge, so her friends arranged a benefit concert that paid her airfare. Spalding was the 2005 recipient of the Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship. 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. It was created to display the dynamic that she felt among her trio. 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." Her band teacher showed her a blues line for the bass that she later used to secure her first gig. He added, "It's an attempt at bringing this crisscrossing [of 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." Patti Austin hired Spalding to tour with her internationally after Spalding's first semester at Berklee,

Esperanza 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. Siddhartha Mitter wrote in The Boston Globe 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 ceremonies, Spalding performed at Oslo City Hall in honor of the 2009 Laureate U.S. President Barack Obama, and again at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert 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, Utah. She closed the show with a number along with bass artists Brian Bromberg and Sean O'Bryan Smith, who also performed earlier that day. As a tribute to Prince, Spalding was invited to sing along with Patti LaBelle, Alicia Keys and Janelle Monáe. Spalding performed the 1987 hit single "If I Was Your Girlfriend".

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 on the album The Mosaic Project, where she features on the track "Crayola". Spalding also sang a duet with Nicholas Payton on the track "Freesia" from the 2011 album Bitches of Renaissance.

In the 53rd Grammy Awards that year, Spalding won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Chamber Music Society is the third album by Spalding. After her 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 set to music by Spalding. A vinyl version of the album was released in February 2011. Commenting on the album, NPR 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.

In February 2012, Spalding performed at the 84th Academy Awards, singing the Louis Armstrong standard "What a Wonderful World", 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 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 2015, she appeared on the NOVA 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, a concept album featuring a funk rock sound. The album was co-produced by Spalding with longtime David Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti. On the album, Spalding sings through the alter ego of Emily (which is her middle name and childhood moniker), who she claims is a personification of a newfound innocence and authenticity to her composition. The album and corresponding tour featured musicians Matthew Stevens on guitar, Justin Tyson and Karriem Riggins on drums.

In July 2017, Spalding was appointed a professor of the Practice of Music at Harvard University. 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. 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.

On September 24, 2022, National Sawdust hosted the premier of the opera, "A Good of Her Own Making," by Spalding and Jojo Abot.

On August 9, 2024, Spalding released a collaborative album, Milton + Esperanza, with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. In 2024, Spalding featured on the Odyssey album by Nubya Garcia.

Spalding was a nominee for the 2025 Grammys in the category of Jazz Vocal Album for her album Milton + Esperanza.

Artistry Spalding has an interest in the music of other cultures, including that of Brazil, where she once spent a month learning Portuguese. She has said that the melody and language of songs in Portuguese are inextricably connected.

Influences Spalding was mentored by Thara Memory. She has described the saxophone player Wayne Shorter,

Spalding has said she loves fusion music and was influenced by a "wonderful arc that started 40 years ago [from 2008] where people kept incorporating modern sounds into their music." 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)

Amplifiers Ampeg SVT-4PRO Ampeg PN-410HLF cab

Strings Fender 9050M Stainless Steel Flatwound Long Scale (.055–.105) In a 2016 interview, Spalding stated she had residences in Brooklyn, New York, and Hillsboro, Oregon, the latter being where her family resides.

Philanthropy

During her 2012 tour, Spalding donated a portion of proceeds from merchandise sales to the non-profit organization Free the Slaves. The organization, based in Washington, D.C., works to combat human trafficking around the world. In 2013, she performed a benefit for the American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra, 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 at the Lions of Justice Festival, sponsored by Soka Gakkai International, 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.

Departure from Harvard In November 2022, Spalding announced via email to department members that she would be resigning from her position. She cited a lack of motivation amongst Harvard administrators to incorporate her changes to the curriculums she taught, as well as their unwillingness to redistribute some of its subjugated land to create a safe space for artists of color.

Discography

Studio albums Junjo (2006) Esperanza (2008) Chamber Music Society (2010) Radio Music Society (2012) Emily's D+Evolution (2016) Exposure (2017) 12 Little Spells (2018) Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021) Alive at the Village Vanguard with Fred Hersch (2023) Milton + esperanza with Milton Nascimento (2024)

Accolades