PRISON BREAK: Esperanza Spalding - A True Authentic Artist

I don't think I can put the right words together to explain how good it makes me feel to see an extremely talented artist such as Esperanza Spalding do so well in today's world of music. She is a breath of fresh air, who was desperately needed in the music industry. I also appreciate how humble and hard working she is, a true role model.

Esperanza Spalding realized at the tender age of four that she wanted to learn how to play music after seeing classical cellist Yo Yo Ma perform on an episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood". “That was when I realized that I wanted to do something musical,” she says. “It was definitely the thing that hipped me to the whole idea of music as a creative pursuit.”

She literally taught herself how to play the violin within a year and then landed a spot in The Chamber Music Society of Oregon, a community orchestra. She stayed with them for ten years until she was fifteen years old and at which point she was promoted to a concertmaster position.

Also, at age fifteen she discovered the bass which opened her up to other genres of music such as blues, funk, hip-hop and a variety of other styles. At age sixteen, she got her GED and went to Portland State University, where she enrolled in the music program.

She then moved on to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she obtained a B.M. and signed on as an instructor in 2005, at only 20 years old! It made her the youngest faculty member in the history of the college. She was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship. During that time she met a lot of artists such as pianist Michel Camilo, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Pat Metheny, singer Patti Austin, and saxophonists Donald Harrison and Joe Lovano. “Working with Joe was terrifying,” she recalls, “but he’s a really generous person. I don’t know if I was ready for the gig or not, but he had a lot of faith in me. It was an amazing learning experience.”

In 2008, she released her first album titled "Esperanza", which is such a special name, because it means Hope. The New York Times raved, “Esperanza has got a lot: accomplished jazz improvisation, funk, scat singing, Brazilian vernacular rhythm and vocals in English, Portuguese and Spanish. At its center is a female bassist, singer and bandleader, one whose talent is beyond question.” "Esperanza" also topped the Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, where it remained for 70 weeks!

Esperanza Spalding as appeared on many late night shows. Other highlights include two appearances at the White House, a Banana Republic ad campaign, the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2009 Jazz Award for Up and Coming Artist of the Year, the 2009 JazzWeek Award for Record of the Year, and many high profile tour dates, including Central Park SummerStage in New York and the Newport Jazz Festival. 2009 was capped by an invitation from President Obama to perform at both the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway – where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded – and also at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert.

In August 2010 she released her latest album "Chamber Music Society", and she is currently working on the sequel of that album, which will be titled "Radio Music Society". Can't wait to hear it!

Esperanza has so many other accomplishments and one of the most recent is a GRAMMY AWARD for BEST NEW ARTIST! She is the first jazz musician to ever achieve this, she is phenomenal, a true inspiration!

Check out her music, go see her shows, she's phenomenal, and she will definitely make you want to pick up an instrument!