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Esperanza Spalding Archives - Page 3

Esperanza Spalding: “Hold On Me” and “I Can’t Help It”
Bass Videos

Esperanza Spalding: “Hold On Me” and “I Can’t Help It”

Here’s a clip from the 2012 North Sea Jazz fest featuring the one and only Esperanza Spalding performing covers of two Michael Jackson tunes, “Hold On Me” and “I Can’t Help It”. No other words necessary.

Esperanza Spalding: Smile Like That (Live)
Bass Videos

Esperanza Spalding: Smile Like That (Live)

Esperanza Spalding always seems to deliver as close to perfection as it gets in her live performances. Here she is performing “Smile Like That” at Jazz à Vienne in 2012. So so good.

Esperanza Spalding: Hold On Me (Live)
Bass Videos

Esperanza Spalding: Hold On Me (Live)

It’s Sunday (at least it is when I’m sharing this), and this just feels perfect for a chill day like today. Of course, when it is Esperanza Spalding, I don’t need any excuse. This is Esperanza performing “Hold On Me” live in 2012, with Leo Genovese (keys), Jef Lee Johnson (guitar), Igmar Thomas (trumpet), Lyndon Rochelle (drums) and a great...

Esperanza Spalding Announces “Thank You October” Tour Dates
Concerts & Tours

Esperanza Spalding Announces “Thank You October” Tour Dates

Esperanza Spalding will be celebrating her birth month with a string of tour dates. The “Thank You October” tour will be a two-week outing focusing on the East Coast with a single Canadian show in Toronto. Spalding, who turns 30 this year, will get the party started at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut before covering New England and heading...

ACS, Featuring Esperanza Spalding, Announce Fall Tour
Concerts & Tours

ACS, Featuring Esperanza Spalding, Announce Fall Tour

Pianist Geri Allen, drummer Terri Lynne Carrington, and bassist Esperanza Spalding have announced a fall tour, including fourteen North American dates and nine European dates. The jazz trio will kick things off in Fairfield, Connecticut at the Quick Center for the Arts before taking the music west. The European leg includes performances in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and...

Bass of the Week: Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Fretless 5-String
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: Esperanza Spalding’s South Paw Fretless 5-String

If you happen to follow Esperanza Spalding’s Facebook page, you might have seen from photos of her Radio Music Society summer tours that she’s wielding a slick new 5-string fretless. The bass is a South Paw, created by NYC luthier Simon Propert, and it’s one of a kind. “Each bass is custom and a little different, so there is no...

Esperanza Spalding: Precious, Live at Amoeba
Bass Videos

Esperanza Spalding: Precious, Live at Amoeba

My friend Dos was the first person to introduce me to the music of Esperanza Spalding, and this was the first tune that made me realize her genius. Taken from her 2008 release, Esperanza, “Precious” is a gorgeous groove that is a perfect blend of jazz and R&B. The bass line is infectious – and fun to play – and...

Bobby McFerrin Releases “Spirityouall”, Featuring Esperanza Spalding and Larry Grenadier
New Albums

Bobby McFerrin Releases “Spirityouall”, Featuring Esperanza Spalding and Larry Grenadier

Master vocalist Bobby McFerrin has released Spirityouall, a thirteen track album compiled of classic spirituals as well as original compositions. Integrating many of McFerrin’s musical influences, the effort pays homage to the legacy of the singer’s father, the late baritone Robert McFerrin, Sr., who was the first African-American to sign a contract with the Metropolitan Opera Company. He was also...

Esperanza Spalding Announces Radio Music Society 2013 Tour
Concerts & Tours

Esperanza Spalding Announces Radio Music Society 2013 Tour

Esperanza Spalding has announced dates for her Radio Music Society 2013 Tour, which will cover parts of Asia and the Americas. The tour starts March 13th at the Mosaic Festival in Singapore before heading to Hong Kong and Japan. Then she’ll head to Canada and the United States for a lengthy tour through August. Spalding will be breaking up the...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #2: Esperanza Spalding
2012 Reader Favorites

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #2: Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding is another bassist who routinely makes our annual reader favorites list, and for good reason. The exciting bassist/vocalist/composer keeps releasing amazing records, winning awards and honors, and showcasing her skills in various videos we feature here. Here are the top five most viewed Esperanza Spalding stories and videos over the course of 2012. Be sure to also check...

Esperanza Spalding Wins Smithsonian Magazine American Ingenuity Award
Player News

Esperanza Spalding Wins Smithsonian Magazine American Ingenuity Award

Photo by Carlos Pericas The awards for Esperanza Spalding keep coming. This time around, the bassist/vocalist/composer has won Smithsonian Magazine’s American Ingenuity Award in the category of performing arts. This is the first year of the awards, which honor “nine groundbreaking individuals in technology, performing and visual arts, natural and physical sciences, education, historical scholarship, social progress and youth achievement.”...

Esperanza Spalding with The Roots: Live Performance of Weather Report’s “Predator”
Bass Videos

Esperanza Spalding with The Roots: Live Performance of Weather Report’s “Predator”

My friend Marsha was telling me about Esperanza Spalding performing a Weather Report tune, where she lays down the bass line while singing the melody. I couldn’t believe I missed it. So after searching for a while, I found this (not perfect, but plenty good enough) fan-shot video of Esperanza with The Roots (wow!) performing Weather Report’s “Predator” (holy smokes!)...