Esperanza Spalding is Recognized with Two Awards

JAZZ JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION AND JAZZWEEK RECOGNIZE ESPERANZA SPALDING WITH TWO AWARDS

 Bassist-singer wins JJA Jazz Award for Up & Coming Artist of the Year

Esperanza brings home Jazzweek’s Award for Record of the Year  

The
Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) announced winners of 2009 Jazz
Awards at the Jazz Standard in New York City held Tuesday, June 16,
honoring 25-year-old up and coming bassist-singer Esperanza Spalding,
among 40 more musicians, presenters, jazz supporters and jazz
journalists for the 13th year. Recipients of the Jazz Awards received
engraved statuettes from the international organization of some 450
writers, broadcasters, photographers and new media producers. To see
all finalists nominees, go to www.JazzJournalists.org” or www.Jazzhouse.org.

 

Esperanza Spalding:

Up & Coming Artist of the Year

Five days later, Spalding’s Esperanza scored Record of the Year at the annual JazzWeek Awards held Saturday, June 20, 2009 at the Radisson Hotel in Rochester, NY. The JazzWeek Awards are sponsored by JazzWeek,
the national radio airplay chart that compiles a weekly report of the
top fifty traditional jazz and contemporary jazz recordings played on
radio stations across the United States. This year’s ceremony marks the seventh year of the JazzWeek Awards, where radio programmers representing jazz stations throughout North America voted on nominees in ten categories.

 

Esperanza Spalding, Esperanza: Record of the Year

Esperanza,
Spalding’s debut on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music
Group, was released on May 20, 2008. Armed with uncanny instrumental
chops, a siren voice that spans three languages, and composing and
arranging skills that weave together the best elements of the
old-school with the progressive, Spalding’s album takes a completely
fresh approach to jazz by borrowing from the rich traditions of soul,
pop, world music and so much more.

Heads Up International