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Esperanza Spalding, 1984-
Born Portland, Oregon
Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding electrified the Grammy Awards in 2011 when she won honors as Best New Artist. Having been inspired by Yo-Yo Ma as a child, she played several different stringed instruments before settling on the bass when she was in high school. She released her first album, Junjo, in 2006. Her sixth release, Exposure, was created over seventy-seven consecutive hours, a process that she livestreamed on Facebook in September 2017. Spalding's musical roots reflect her rich cultural heritage: Her father is African American; her mother is Welsh, Native American, and Hispanic; and she herself sings in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Sandrine Lee's photograph shows the musician in an old railroad station in Connecticut. In interviews, Spalding has emphasized that music does not only happen in recording studios and concert halls, but also in more intimate, everyday spaces, like the one shown here.
Sandrine Lee, 2010, printed 2012 |