Esperanza

Every few years, a new artist comes along with talent and potential so great that it challenges and redefines the common perceptions of what jazz is and where it's heading. The new light on the horizon may be a compelling vocalist one year, or perhaps an unmatched instrumental virtuoso a few years later, or maybe a brilliant composer a few more years down the road.

Bassist / vocalist / composer Esperanza Spalding is all of these things and more. And she will, in fact, challenge and expand your perceptions of jazz.

Esperanza (HUCD 3140), her debut on Heads Up International, is set for worldwide release on May 20, 2008. Armed with uncanny instrumental chops, a siren voice that spans three languages, and composing and arranging skills that weave together the best elements of the old-school with the progressive, this 23-year-old has crafted a debut album that takes a completely fresh and refreshing approach to jazz by incorporating the rich traditions of soul, pop, world music and so much more.

Her accelerated backstory follows a breathtaking arc. A musical prodigy since her childhood in Portland, Oregon, Esperanza enrolled at Berklee College of Music at 16 and not only excelled there but eventually became the youngest professor in the school's history. Before finishing school, she had already landed coveted touring gigs and recording projects with the likes of Patti Austin, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny and other luminaries who were, in many cases, the shining lights of their own generations.

But even with all this early success, Esperanza approached her Heads Up debut album with an unwavering work ethic and a fierce sense of commitment to making a recording that not only captures who and where she is now, but offers a glimpse of all that she could yet achieve. "In preparing for this album, I worked really hard on my playing, my singing, my composition, everything," she says. "I'm confident and I'm proud of what came out. I feel like it represents me at this time, and it shows the world what I'm capable of."