By Lenny Wu

This was the second time that talented Grammy Award singer Esperanza Spalding has performed in Ottawa. A native of Portland, Oregon, Spalding began writing and performing at a very young age. She most recently surprised the music world, winning Best New Artist at the 2011 Grammy Awards, beating out Justin Bieber and Drake.

Esperanza Spalding is currently touring to promote her fourth studio album, Radio Music Society, which was released in March, playing with the band of the same name.

The show started off with the band playing random Jazz sounds as if warming up,  adding vintage-like radio sounds to the mix. Spalding walked on stage carrying her bass guitar and her lovely hairstyle, wowing her audience with the amazing jazz and soul tunes right from the first song (Us); switching to the double Bass for Hold On Me, playing in a soft and relaxing style that transported the audience to a smoke filled jazz club of days gone by…

Her talent blew everyone away with an elegant mastery of her musical instruments, and stunning singing voice, providing a relaxing atmosphere as the sun set on her return to the stage of Ottawa Jazzfest.

Photography by Marc DesRosiers