Best New Artist …
Who is Esperanza Spalding? If you were asking this question last night during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards — you are not alone. The jazz bassist and singer was named Best New Artist – beating out teen phenom Justin Bieber.
So what do we know about the talented 26-year-old Portland, Oregon musician? She recently supported Prince on his Welcome 2 America tour and calls him “a dear friend.”
Though she may be an unknown in most music circles, her career has been helped by the current President of the United States.
The brightest young star on the jazz horizon has performed at the White House and also traveled to Oslo, Norway at the behest of the president to perform at the December 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony where Barack Obama received his coveted award.
Check out what she had to say about her big win below: