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Esperanza Spalding

09.17.08 | Yoshi's Jazz in San Francisco, CA | 16887 comments

October 15, 2008 -- 23-year old jazz vocalist, bassist and composer Esperanza Spalding took the stage at Yoshi's Jazz in San Francisco last Wednesday, greeted by a delighted and nearly sold out crowd.  Esperanza was backed by an ensemble she calls the "freshness times five"-- Italian pianist Leo Genovese, Brazilian guitarist Ricardo Vogt and drummer (and fellow bandmate from Joe Lovano's Qunintet) Otis Brown.

Her 90 minute set included a wide variety of tunes (mainly from her recent self-titled release "Esperanza") ranging from pop jazz ballads to bossa nova and were sung in English, Portugese and even a capella, during a solo encore/cover of Lauryn Hills "Tell Him").