Esperanza Spalding facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Esperanza Spalding
Spalding performing in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Esperanza Emily Spalding
Born	(1984-10-18) October 18, 1984 (age 40) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Genres	Jazz jazz fusion bossa nova Latin Jazz neo soul R&B Third Stream
Occupation(s)	Musician composer educator bandleader
Instruments	Double bass bass guitar vocals
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Ayva Musica Heads Up Concord
Associated acts	Patti Austin Joe Lovano

Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American musician. She is known as a bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. She has won five Grammy Awards, which are big awards in music. She also has two special doctorates from music schools.

Esperanza grew up in Portland, Oregon. She started playing music very young. At age five, she played the violin in a group called the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. She later taught herself and learned other instruments like guitar and bass. Her musical skills helped her get scholarships to Portland State University and Berklee College of Music.

Spalding released her first album, Junjo, in 2006. Her third album, Chamber Music Society (2010), became very popular. It helped her win her first Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Her fourth album, Radio Music Society (2012), won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album. One song from that album, "City of Roses," also won an award.

Later, she released Emily's D+Evolution (2016), a funk rock album. In 2017, she created Exposure in just 77 hours, streamed live online. Her album 12 Little Spells (2019) reached number one on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart and won another Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Besides performing, Spalding has also taught music. She started teaching at Berklee College of Music when she was only 20. In 2017, she became a professor at Harvard University, a position she held until 2022.

Life and career

1984–2003: Early life and education

Esperanza Emily Spalding was born on October 18, 1984, in Portland, Oregon. She was raised by her mother in a neighborhood in northeast Portland. As a child, Esperanza had some health challenges, so she spent a lot of time learning at home. She also went to King Elementary School. During this time, she learned music by listening to her mother's jazz guitar teacher. Esperanza would listen and then try to play what she heard at home.

Her mother noticed Esperanza's musical talent when she could play Beethoven songs by ear on the piano. Watching cellist Yo-Yo Ma on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood also inspired her. By age five, Esperanza was playing the violin professionally with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. She stayed with this group until she was 15, becoming the lead violinist.

Esperanza also played the oboe and clarinet. She found the double bass while attending The Northwest Academy, a performing arts high school. She started playing live in Portland clubs as a teenager. Her first gig was at a blues club when she was 15. She joined a local indie rock band called Noise for Pretend as a singer and lyricist.

Spalding left The Northwest Academy at 16. After getting her high school equivalency, she got a music scholarship to Portland State University. Later, her bass teacher encouraged her to apply to Berklee College of Music. She received a full scholarship there too. Even with a scholarship, living expenses were hard. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny encouraged her to keep going, saying she had a special talent.

2004–2007: Career beginnings, teaching, and Junjo

Spalding at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, Italy, 2007

In 2004, Gary Burton, a leader at Berklee, said Esperanza had "a great time feel" and could play complicated music. In 2006, The New York Times praised her unique voice. In 2005, she won a scholarship for outstanding musicianship from the Boston Jazz Society.

Right after graduating from college, Spalding was hired by Berklee College of Music to teach bass. She was only 20, making her one of the youngest teachers there. As a teacher, she helps students improve by keeping a practice journal.

Her first album, Junjo, came out in April 2006. It was made to show the strong connection she felt with her band members. Even though it was released under her name, Spalding saw it as a group effort.

2008–2010: Esperanza

Spalding performs at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert of 2009

Spalding has said that playing the bass felt natural to her. She discovered it in music class and quickly fell in love with the instrument. Her band teacher showed her a simple blues line, which helped her get her first gig.

In 2008, Pat Metheny said it was clear that Esperanza had "a lot to say." He noted her rare ability to share her unique vision and energy. Andrés Quinteros, an Argentinian writer, called her one of the best new jazz talents. Singer Patti Austin hired Spalding to tour with her internationally. Spalding supported Austin on a tribute tour for Ella Fitzgerald.

Spalding said the tour taught her how to play with a singer and keep the music interesting every night. She continued to perform with Austin for three years. During this time, she also studied with saxophonist Joe Lovano at Berklee and later toured with him.

Spalding sings to the audience at the North Sea Jazz Festival, 2009

Esperanza is Spalding's second album. After she won a Grammy in 2011, the album became very popular. Critics described Esperanza as a mix of jazz fusion, Brazilian music, and hip-hop. Her singing style on this album also became more appealing to a wider audience.

In December 2009, Spalding performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Norway. She honored U.S. President Barack Obama, who had won the prize. Obama personally chose her to perform. She also performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert the next day.

2011–2015: Chamber Music Society and Radio Music Society

In 2011, Spalding worked with other musicians on different songs. She collaborated with Tineke Postma and Terri Lyne Carrington.

At the 53rd Grammy Awards that year, Spalding won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. This was a big surprise for many.

Chamber Music Society is Spalding's third album. After her Grammy win, the album quickly became very popular. A music video was made for the song "Little Fly," which uses a poem by William Blake. Many people enjoyed the album's intimate and sophisticated sound.

In November 2011, Spalding was named "Jazz Artist of the Year" at the Boston Music Awards. In February 2012, she performed at the 84th Academy Awards. She sang "What a Wonderful World" to honor film industry members who had passed away.

Radio Music Society is Spalding's fourth album, released in March 2012. Spalding wanted this album to show jazz musicians in a way that was easy for mainstream radio to play.

In November 2013, Spalding released a song called "We Are America." It was a protest song about the Guantánamo prison camps. Famous artists like Stevie Wonder and Harry Belafonte appeared in the video. In 2015, she appeared on the TV show NOVA, discussing the link between music and math.

2016–present: Emily's D+Evolution, Exposure, and 12 Little Spells

In March 2016, Spalding released her fifth album, Emily's D+Evolution. This was a concept album with a funk rock sound. She worked with Tony Visconti, who also worked with David Bowie. On this album, Spalding used an alter ego named Emily, which is her middle name. Emily represents a new, authentic part of her music.

In July 2017, Spalding became a professor at Harvard University. In December, she released Exposure, her sixth album. For this project, she created the entire album in 77 hours, streaming the process live on Facebook. Only 7,777 copies were made. Each physical album included a piece of her original notepaper. Spalding said the live streaming pushed her to be more creative.

From October 7–18, 2018, Spalding released twelve songs, one each day. These songs formed her seventh album, 12 Little Spells. Each "spell" had a music video and related to a body part. This album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2020.

In 2020 and 2021, Spalding worked with Wayne Shorter on a new opera called Iphigenia. Spalding wrote the story and words for the opera. It premiered in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, she also premiered another opera, "A Good of Her Own Making."

On August 9, 2024, Spalding released Milton + Esperanza with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. She also appeared on an album by Nubya Garcia in 2024.

Artistry

Spalding is interested in music from other cultures, especially Brazil. She spent a month there learning Portuguese. She believes that the melody and language of Portuguese songs are deeply connected. She sings in several languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Influences

Thara Memory was a mentor to Spalding. She looks up to jazz bassists Ron Carter and Dave Holland for their playing styles. She also calls saxophone player Wayne Shorter and singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento her heroes. She especially loves the music of Brazil.

Spalding enjoys fusion music, which blends different styles. She believes musicians need to read and stay informed about the world to write original music. She has said she models her career after artists like Madonna and Ornette Coleman. Joni Mitchell is also a big musical inspiration. Spalding says her mom is her biggest role model.

Instruments

Spalding alternates between double bass and electric bass in her performances.

Esperanza Spalding plays several 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 SVT-4PRO
• Ampeg PN-410HLF cab

Strings

• Fender 9050M Stainless Steel Flatwound Long Scale (.055–.105)

Personal life

Esperanza Spalding has homes in Brooklyn, New York, and Hillsboro, Oregon, where her family lives. She follows the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) tradition of Nichiren Buddhism.

Philanthropy and Social Justice

Spalding operating a music education booth at Austin City Limits Music Festival, 2012

During her 2012 tour, Spalding gave some money from her merchandise sales to Free the Slaves, a group that fights modern slavery. In 2013, she performed to benefit the American Music Program Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra, a music program started by her mentor, Thara Memory.

In 2018, Spalding performed to help Bienestar, a non-profit that provides housing and support in Oregon. She also appeared with Herbie Hancock at the Lions of Justice Festival. This event supported treating all people with respect and dignity.

Spalding also supports The Trust for Public Land, an organization that helps create parks and open spaces.

Departure from Harvard

In November 2022, Spalding announced she was leaving her teaching job at Harvard University. She felt that the university leaders were not willing to make the changes she wanted for the music programs she taught. She also wanted them to use some of their land to create a safe space for artists of color, but this did not happen.

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

See also

In Spanish: Esperanza Spalding para niños