On Wednesday, November 11, at 8:30 p.m. in her first performance in Zankel Hall, bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding leads her quartet—featuring drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and pianist Leonardo Genovese, and saxophonist, Tineke Postma—in an exciting evening of original music and multilingual interpretations of jazz standards as recorded on her debut album Esperanza. This performance is the first in Carnegie Hall’s 2009–2010 Just Jazz: The Joyce Wein Series, a three-part series presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with legendary jazz impresario George Wein in memory of his late wife, Joyce Wein.Noted both for her skill as a bassist and for her light and sultry vocals, Esperanza Spalding has been recognized as one of the most promising up and coming musicians on the jazz scene today. Her debut album, Esperanza (Heads Up), was released in 2008 and brought wide recognition to her talents as an instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer.
Just Jazz: The Joyce Wein Series continues in Zankel Hall on Thursday, December 3 at 8:30 p.m. with three powerhouse pianists paying tribute to the legacy and artistry of jazz pianist extraordinaire, Oscar Peterson—who some consider the greatest jazz pianist of all time. The program, entitled Oscar Peterson Remembered will feature performances by Hiromi, Kenny Barron, and Roger Kellaway. On Thursday, April 29 at 8:30 p.m., celebrated jazz trumpeter, composer, conductor, and educator, Jon Faddis returns to Carnegie Hall in a program entitled The Majesty of the Jazz Trumpet—the final performance of the Just Jazz series. In this performance, Faddis explores the styles and musical influences of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie, among others.
About the Artist
Dubbed by The Seattle Times as “an irresistible performer,” 24-year-old bassist, vocalist, and composer Esperanza Spalding has the uncanny instrumental chops and mature multilingual voice of a performer well beyond her years. Born in 1984 in Portland, Oregon, Spalding was raised by her mother in a single-parent home. During her formative years, it was evident that her highly intuitive learning style put her at odds with the traditional education system, and after a lengthy illness kept her out of school, she began home-schooling, which continued for a significant portion of her elementary school years.
Music became an influence for Spalding at the age of four after she watched cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform on an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Within the span of one year, she taught herself to play the violin well enough to land a spot in The Chamber Music Society of Oregon—a community orchestra that was open to both children and adult musicians. Spalding stayed with the group for 10 years, and by age 15, she had been elevated to the position of concertmaster.
It was around this time when she discovered the bass, and all of the non-classical avenues that the instrument could open for her. Before long she was playing blues, funk, hip-hop, and a variety of other styles on the local club circuit. After earning her GED at age 16, Spalding was granted a generous scholarship, and enrolled as the youngest player in the music program at Portland State University. After studying in Portland, Spalding decided to move to Boston where she completed three years of accelerated study and earned her bachelor’s degree at the Berklee College of Music. Spalding also signed on as an instructor in 2005 at the age of 20—an appointment that has made her the youngest faculty member in the history of the college—and was the recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship that same year.
In addition to studying and teaching, her years at Berklee gave her an opportunity to work with several notable artists, including pianist Michel Camilo, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Pat Metheny, singer Patti Austin, and saxophonists Donald Harrison and Joe Lovano. Her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album was released by Heads Up International Records in May 2008.
Wednesday, November 11 at 8:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall
ESPERANZA SPALDING
Esperanza Spalding, Vocals and Bass
Leonardo Genovese, Piano
Terri Lynne Carrington, Drums
Tineke Postma, Saxophone
Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with George Wein.
This concert and Just Jazz: The Joyce Wein Series are sponsored by the Joyce and George Wein Foundation in memory of Joyce Wein.
Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.
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