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Every now and then a young musician comes along and accomplishes so much, so quickly, that the rest of us are forced to wonder what we are doing with our lives. That is the position in which we found ourselves when, during a recent interview, we tried to hide our envy while asking Esperanza Spalding what it was like to perform at the White House earlier this year before the President, first lady, and Stevie Wonder, at a ceremony awarding Wonder the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
"It was really beautiful. I got to meet the first lady and Mr. Obama, and they were very gracious and excited about music, and down to earth people," the bassist/vocalist responded. "But the most exciting aspect is what that represents for music and arts, that our President is thinking with that mentality."
Spalding, who is not yet 25, will be headlining tonight's opening concert at the Kennedy Center's 14th Annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, a show that will also feature vocalist Janis Siegel and woodwind artist Anat Cohen. And if her talent wasn't reason enough to go hear Spalding, tonight's concert should be especially good because this spirited performer holds a warm place in her heart for the District.
"I love that friggin’ city. It's got energy, it’s alive, I just love it," she declared.
But this festival also draws mixed feelings. On the one hand, the contribution of women to jazz is under-appreciated and deserves broader recognition. On the other, such an event might only underscore a gender gap that should not exist. Though she is enthusiastic about sharing the stage with such high-caliber artists, Spalding holds the latter point of view.
"I have an aversion to all things 'women-in-whatever.' I don't see a purpose for it," she said bluntly. "Wouldn’t it be offensive if there was a Japanese in folk music festival? You’re isolating that demographic."
Spalding began playing clubs as a teenager in her native Portland. After leaving high school early and a short stint at a local university, she received a full scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. During her time there, she performed and toured with world class musicians such as vocalist Patti Austin and saxophonist Joe Lovano. Upon graduating in 2005, she was awarded a teaching position at the school, becoming one of the youngest professors in Berklee's history. Spalding is also building her career as a bandleader, having released two albums, Junjo (2006) and Esperanza (2008).
Drawing from disparate influences, Spalding embraces everything from Brazilian jazz to hip-hop. Her music stands apart from most contemporary jazz, largely because she is that very rare combination of upright bassist and vocalist. Her singing is immediately identifiable, and while most instrumentalist/vocalists favor one form of expression, Spalding is equally adept on both fronts. Each member of her band sings as well, making their sound all the more accessible by allowing for rich vocal harmonies on top of the strong musicianship.
"The show is energetic. It's become a lot more live and a lot more alive," Spalding said. "One of our main objectives is bringing in people and bringing in listeners."
The 14th Annual Women in Jazz Festival begins tonight and runs through Saturday. All of the ticketed events are sold out, but it's worth contacting the Kennedy Center's box office for last minute cancellations.
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