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neighborhood, has described her ethnic heritage as a mixture of African American, Latina, Welsh and Native American. Spalding, raised by a single mother in a tough Portland, Ore. When Herbie Hancock won album of the year in 2008 with “River: The Joni Letters,” he was the first jazz artist to do so in approximately a half century. Jazz artists seldom triumph in any major Grammy category. Spalding became the first jazz artist to win the award since the pop-oriented Norah Jones took home the trophy in 2003. “He is unquestionably talented and will have so many more records for his fans to sink their teeth into,” Spalding said. Speaking backstage after receiving her award, Spalding paid a compliment to Bieber - widely considered the category’s front-runner - as well as to his trademark coif. In addition to her appearances at prominent jazz festivals, Spalding also has performed on Austin City Limits, a gig that hints at her growing popular appeal. Her champions include President Barack Obama, who personally chose her to play at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in his honor. With an experimental style that integrates neo-soul, funk, hip-hop and bossa nova elements, Spalding has emerged as the rare jazz artist who’s respected by critics and old-timers but also possesses the crossover potential to attract audiences beyond the hard-core jazz aficionados.
ESPERANZA SPALDING DISCOGRAPHY MOVIE
Spalding was a decided underdog in an eclectic field of competitors that included the teen pop idol and newly minted movie star Justin Bieber, hip-hop artist Drake, British indie pop-rockers Florence and the Machine and English folk rockers Mumford & Sons. But that didn’t stop Esperanza Spalding, a 26-year-old jazz vocalist and bassist who combines old-school cool with an ebullient personality that has energized her genre, from winning the Grammy Award for best new artist in one of the night’s biggest surprises.
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She was the least well known and the lowest-selling artist in the group.