May 3 at
All Souls at Sundown:

Esperanza Spalding, vocals and bass
and the poetry of Linda Pastan

Widely hailed as a child prodigy on the double bass within months of when she first cradled the imposing instrument as a 15 year old, Esperanza Spalding has hardly stopped to catch her breath in the decade since. Today the Portland, Oregon native is a teacher at Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, where she balances a hectic schedule of performing with such jazz icons as tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and singer Patti Austin with composing and arranging for her own group. She’s performed at many of the world’s leading jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals, including elite venues in Canada, the UK, Switzerland, the US and Brazil. She made her recording debut as a leader with Junjo, a bracing trio session for the Barcelona, Spain-based AYVA Music label.