Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding is a jazz multi-instrumentalist from Portland, Oregon. From an early age, she taught herself the basics of playing the piano, guitar, oboe, and clarinet by ear, and went on to master the violin in the field of classical music. In high school, however, she discovered the double bass, which completely captivated her. Within a few months, she was playing in local clubs, combining pop, rock, hip hop, and above all jazz. Her talent was so extraordinary that shortly after graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, at the age of only twenty, she became one of the youngest teachers in the school's history. In her work, which debuted in 2006 with the album Junjo, she combines jazz, fusion, neo soul, R&B, bossa nova, and Latin jazz in a unique way. Critics particularly admire her combination of singing and playing an instrument – such a distinctive expression in both areas is, in principle, very rare on the music scene. This technical precision and ability to move seamlessly between genres has opened the door for her to collaborate with stars such as Prince, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Wayne Shorter.