If “esperanza” is the Spanish word for hope, then bassist, vocalist and composer, Esperanza Spalding, could not have been given a more fitting name at birth. Blessed with uncanny instrumental chops, a multi-lingual voice that is part angel and part siren, and a natural beauty that borders on the hypnotic, the 20-something prodigy-turned-pro might well be the hope for the future of jazz and instrumental music.

A past sidewoman with jazz heavyweights Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Michel Camilo and Regina Carter, Spalding, at age 20, became the youngest faculty member in the history of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. Spalding draws on influences from Cuba and Brazil to classic soul and contemporary pop, singing in English, Spanish and Portuguese and scatting ethereal wordless melodies with daring improvisational flair.

www.esperanzaspalding.com