ESPERANZA SPALDING

Emphasizing simplicity and intimacy of her voice, bass, and songs, in this special configuration of two musicians and two dancers, esperanza performs songs from all eight of her previous albums, songs from current releases, plus a special-preview of her forthcoming project.

Born in 1984 in Portland, Oregon, esperanza spalding is an eaabibacliitoti* artist. She is trained and initiated in the North American (masculine) jazz lineage and tradition. Her work interweaves through various combinations of instrumental music, bass playing, improvisation, singing, composition, poetry, dance, and therapeutic research. Also, storytelling, teaching, regenerative agriculture, urban land & artist-sanctuary custodianship. Moreover, through her art she grows in love as a daughter, sister, cousin, niece, auntie, great-auntie, friend, while collaboratively decolonizing within and through her hometown community.

2024’s Milton + esperanza is spalding’s first new album since 2021’s songwrights apothecary lab, That album, and 2019’s 12 Little Spells, both won Grammy Awards (Best Jazz Vocal Album). spalding released a protest song in 2024 entitled “Não Ao Marco Temporal” that was recorded in Rio. A five-time Grammy winner and eleven-time nominee, spalding has previously released eight full length albums. She has worked with her heroes including Milton Nascimento and Wayne Shorter. Furthermore, she has collaborated with Q-Tip, Janelle Monae, Robert Glasper, Terri Lyne Carrington and many others.

With her dance project “Off Brand gOdds” and her therapeutic music incubator “Songwrights Apothecary Lab” she co-leads workshop and therapeutic-arts research residencies. She is a 2024 recipient of the Doris Duke Foundation Artist Award and a 2016 Ford Foundation “Art of Change” Fellow.

*European-African ancestored being influenced by American cultures living in Indigenous Territories of Turtle Island