For our Possibility edition, the groundbreaking jazz musician has curated a selection of tracks that expanded her perspective as an artist.
Pedro Napolinário
Renowned for her exceptional bass skills, singer, songwriter, and composer Esperanza Spalding made history in 2011 by becoming the inaugural jazz musician to win Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, notably surpassing Drake, Justin Bieber, and Florence & the Machine. “I hoped it would create opportunities for me and that I could elevate many others in the process,” Spalding reflects. “I constantly wish that more of that bold vanguard jazz music would penetrate the mainstream; it ignites your imagination and expands your sensory experiences.”
Since that time, Spalding has partnered with notable figures such as Herbie Hancock, Prince, and Janelle Monae, co-created two operas (a third, NIGREDO, co-written with transdisciplinary artist brontë velez, is forthcoming), and established Prismid Sanctuary, a nonprofit residency and regenerative farm for BIPOC artists in Oregon. “Our mission is to cultivate a space for community engagement, creative endeavors, and cultural exchange in a manner that directly nourishes and revitalizes the land,” she describes.
“I constantly WISH that more of that BOLD vanguard JAZZ MUSIC would penetrate the MAINSTREAM.”
Spalding has recently received her 12th Grammy nomination for Milton + Esperanza, a collaboration with Brazilian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Milton Nascimento, which is nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Dedicated to their late friend Wayne Shorter, a legendary jazz saxophonist with whom they both worked, the album includes a combination of original compositions by Spalding as well as jazz and pop classics from Nascimento’s repertoire. “I wouldn’t be here without musicians like him,” Spalding states regarding Nascimento. “This Grammy would acknowledge that our elders are still active in their creativity, and they deserve to be honored.”
For our February edition, Spalding has assembled a playlist centered around the theme of possibility, featuring Bilal’s rock-inspired “Quantum Universe,” Tamela Mann’s gospel anthem “This Place,” and Matthew Stevens’s jazz ballad “Our Reunion,” on which she lends her vocals. “The entire experience of creating that song unlocked new possibilities within me,” Spalding shares. “I discovered aspects of my voice that I had never ventured into before.”
Listen to Spalding’s playlist exclusively on Apple Music.
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