When discussing Esperanza Spalding, one should of course talk about jazz. But this is a bit difficult in the year she won a Grammy Award, and beat teen idol Justin Bieber, in the category Best New Artist. It's a bit strange as well, because her most recent album, Chamber Music Society, doesn't relate to the genre of pop music at all. Though Spalding certainly appeals to a younger audience. The bass player and singer from Portland looks great and is known to make accurate statements, like: "I'm not ashamed of anything. I like bizarre contrasts in music and I would never be able to express them all within the boundaries of jazz." However, unconsciously she does seem to be the appointed bridge-builder for a new generation of jazz lovers. Her music has many influences like jazz, folk, world music, as well as classical music. The artist herself has found a name for it: "Spalding music. Let's call it that."
