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Between the Thermals' appearance on Lopez Tonight and last night's performance by Esperanza Spalding on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Portland music has been all over the third-tier late night talk show circuit the past few weeks. Of course, Spalding herself has been everywhere since taking home the Grammy for Best New Artist last month, earning her the wrath of Justin Bieber fanatics and instantly catapulting her to the top of the list of "Most Famous Jazz Musicians Under 30" -- which means that roughly 97 percent of the national television audience is still wondering, "Who the hell is Esperanza Spalding?"
This Kimmel clip goes a long way toward answering that question. It's easily the jazziest shit that's been on late night TV in a long time, and it showcases Spalding's considerable upright bass skills and pristine voice. It's probably a good bet to presume she's going to go for the pop crossover on her next record (perhaps featuring a Bieber collab?), but respect to her for keeping it real while the spotlight on her is at its brightest.
WWeek 2015