Esperanza Spalding Plays the Byham Theater Tonight, 10/6

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will present Esperanza Spalding Radio Music Society tour at the Byham Theater tonight, October 6, 2012, at 8:00 p.m. Brought to you as part of the Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series. Tickets ($30-$50) may be purchased in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, online at www.trustarts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666.  For group tickets, 10 or more, call (412) 471-6930.
 
An impassioned young bassist/vocalist/composer, Eperanza Spalding has made a splash in the American music scene and is one of the strongest voices in contemporary jazz. After having her second album top Billboard contemporary jazz charts, she caught the attention of President Barak Obama who invited her to perform at The White House. After appearing at The White House, Esperanza Spalding was also asked to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony. To prove this was no short flash of success her next album Chamber Music Society went on to win a Grammy for Best New Artist (2011).
 
Esperanza Spalding knew from the time she saw Yo Yo Ma on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood that she wanted to dedicate herself to music. She was five years old and within the year Spalding had become a member of The Chamber Music Society of Oregon. Through her hard work during the next ten years Spalding became a concert master at the age of 15.  It was at this time in her life that Spalding decided to hone her skills on the bass, moving away from the variety of instruments she had formerly played.  Armed with a GED, Esperanza Spalding enrolled in Portland State University’s music program. Learning and growing she migrated to the east coast where she received a Bachelor of Music from the Berklee College of Music. In 2005 Spalding was signed as an instructor at Berklee College; at 20 years old she was the youngest faculty member in the history of the college.
 
From her creative thoughts formatted on paper or arranged on a sheet of music, Esperanza Spalding’s accomplishments are impressive. Words or notes, however, cannot describe the beauty that comes through as she sings and plays her bass. The only way to truly experience the fruit of her labors is listening to her passionate performance.  Billboard described Esperanza Spalding as one of their “Faces to Watch” exclaiming, “Whether exploding into vocalize or making her bass solo sound like a horn, she’s a spark plug who dances as she grooves through a funked-up and rocked-out repertoire.”