Esperanza Spalding to Open for Prince

Tuesday May 03, 2011

From Jazz Police

Esperanza Spalding with a band that includes Joe Lovano opens for Prince at the Forum in LA, May 6-7
By: Ronaldo Oregano

Esperanza Spalding, the first jazz musician to ever win the Best New Artist GRAMMY® Award, will be opening tour dates for Prince on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7, with a stellar band. The acclaimed bassist/singer/composer’s performances are part of Prince’s residency-style “Welcome 2 America” tour, which includes a 21-date stand in Los Angeles that began on April 14 at the Forum. Spalding’s band for both dates features keyboardist Raymond Angry, saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist Jef Lee Johnson and drummer Terri Lynne Carrington.

Since December, Prince has played residency-style concert series in the New York area, North and South Carolina, and Oakland, California. Many of the shows have featured guest appearances and a series of stellar opening acts, including Spalding, Cee-Lo Green, Janelle Monae, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and others.

On winning her Grammy, Spalding said, “People have asked me what significance being a jazz artist particularly brings to the award. We all know that jazz artists aren’t typically nominated in this category, so that alone is special about the award this year. But, mainly I hope this will be significant in that the media spotlight will illuminate more than just an edge of the HUGE breadth of all that is happening in jazz music as a whole right now.”

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Radio Song (clip)	1:01	Esperanza Spalding
Black Gold	5:17	Esperanza Spalding

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Watch what's on

*Radio Music Society Trailer
Esperanza Spalding at the Oscars
Black Gold
Esperanza Spalding at the Nobel Prize Ceremony

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