Esperanza Spalding

The music of this singer and double bass player pokes around with a great instinct into other landscapes of music, including popular traditional Brazilian and African American pop. As a restless youth, early on Spalding attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where her fun, youthful vibe stood out, and in her 20s she was already a teacher there herself. Reputable band leaders have brought her in to work with them, including Michel Camilo, Stanley Clarke, Pat Metheny and Joe Lovano.