Complete List Of Esperanza Spalding Songs From A to Z

Feature Photo: Andrea Mancini, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Esperanza Spalding entered the music world with a sense of purpose that was unmistakable from the beginning, and her early path set the stage for one of the most remarkable careers in contemporary jazz. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, and spent her childhood surrounded by music, eventually teaching herself violin and performing with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. That experience opened the door to a broader musical language and a deep curiosity that would eventually lead her to the bass and to the jazz tradition she would later reshape in her own extraordinary way.

Her professional ascent continued at Berklee College of Music, where her abilities were so striking that the institution hired her as an instructor after she graduated in 2005. At age 20, she became one of the youngest faculty members in Berklee’s history. This early chapter also marked the period when she began writing and recording her own material, laying the foundation for one of the most creative bodies of work in modern jazz.

Spalding’s recording career began with Junjo in 2006, followed by the self-titled Esperanza in 2008. Chamber Music Society appeared in 2010 and showcased her interest in classical influences within a jazz framework. Radio Music Society followed in 2012 and earned the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. She continued her exploration with Emily’s D+Evolution in 2016, a project that blended performance art, progressive songwriting, and a theatrical alter ego.

In 2017, Spalding created Exposure during a 77-hour livestreamed recording session. The limited release paired its ten-song album with a second disc titled Undeveloped, containing ten earlier practice recordings. She followed that experiment with 12 Little Spells, initially released as 12 songs in 2018 and expanded to 16 tracks in 2019. The project earned her another Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Her broader public breakthrough came at the 2011 Grammy Awards when she won Best New Artist, becoming the first jazz musician to receive the honor. The award brought international attention to her work and helped her reach listeners beyond traditional jazz audiences. Her career, however, has never depended on commercial singles or chart formulas. Her music remains centered on composition, ensemble interplay, conceptual storytelling, and a constant willingness to change direction.

Spalding continued that creative evolution with Songwrights Apothecary Lab in 2021, a collection developed with musicians, researchers, and practitioners from fields including music therapy and neuroscience. The project’s vinyl edition added “Formwela 12” in 2022. That same year, she appeared as a co-leader on Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival with Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese.

Her partnership with pianist Fred Hersch produced Alive at the Village Vanguard in 2023. In 2024, she joined Brazilian music legend Milton Nascimento for Milton + esperanza, a 16-track collaboration that combined Nascimento classics, new material, and interpretations of songs by the Beatles and Michael Jackson. She also played bass and sang throughout Nicholas Payton’s 2025 trio project TRIUNE with drummer Karriem Riggins.

Esperanza Spalding is admired throughout the music community for her command of the bass, unmistakable vocal identity, and fearless pursuit of artistic reinvention. Her collaborations have included Wayne Shorter, Joe Lovano, Prince, Milton Nascimento, Fred Hersch, Terri Lyne Carrington, and many others. Her ability to merge jazz, classical music, soul, Brazilian traditions, and experimental forms while maintaining a strong melodic core has made her one of the most respected musicians of her generation.

Beyond her recorded catalog, Spalding has remained committed to arts education and projects that expand the role of music. Her work has included teaching, theatrical performance, healing-centered research, opera, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Each new project feels like another chapter rather than a repetition of what came before, reflecting the same artistic courage that defined her earliest days as a performer.

The A-to-Z list below includes Spalding’s principal studio albums, deluxe and bonus recordings, co-led live albums, selected standalone releases issued under her name, and the 2025 TRIUNE recordings on which she performs throughout. Guest appearances on albums led by other artists are otherwise excluded.

Complete List Of Esperanza Spalding Songs From A to Z

0–E

“#bamisforthechildren” – TRIUNE (2025), with Nicholas Payton and Karriem Riggins
“12 Little Spells” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“4th Grade” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“A Day in the Life” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“A Wish (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch
“All Limbs Are” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“Another Story” – standalone single (2022), with Gystere
“Apple Blossom” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“As a Sprout” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Black Gold” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“But Not for Me (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch
“Cais” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Cantora de Yala” – Junjo (2006)
“Chacarera” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Change Us” – Emily’s D+Evolution (Deluxe Edition) (2016)
“Chelsea Mercy” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Cinnamon Tree” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“City of Roses” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Colonial Fire” – Exposure (2017)
“Coming to Life” – Exposure (2017)
“Crowned & Kissed” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Cuerpo y Alma (Body & Soul)” – Esperanza (2008)
“Dancing the Animal” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“Double Jointed Canyon” – Exposure (2017)
“Dream of Monk (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch
“Drummer’s Song (Live)” – Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (2022), with Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese
“Earth Song” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Earth to Heaven” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Ebony and Ivy” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Elevate or Operate” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Endangered Species” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Endangered Species (Live)” – Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (2022), with Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese
“Encontros e Despedidas (Live)” – Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (2022), with Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese
“Espera” – Esperanza (2008)
“Evidence (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch

F–J

“Fall In” – Esperanza (2008)
“Farewell Dolly” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Feed the Fire” – TRIUNE (2025), with Nicholas Payton and Karriem Riggins
“Fittest” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Formwela 1” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 10” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 11” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 12” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (Vinyl Edition) (2022)
“Formwela 13” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 2” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 3” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 4” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 5” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 6” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 7” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 8” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Formwela 9” – Songwrights Apothecary Lab (2021)
“Funk the Fear” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Geriment” – Exposure (2017)
“Get It by Now” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Girl Talk (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch
“Gold Dust Black Magic” – TRIUNE (2025), with Nicholas Payton and Karriem Riggins
“Good Lava” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Heaven in Pennies” – Exposure (2017)
“Helluva” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Hold On Me” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“How To” – 12 Little Spells (Deluxe Edition) (2019)
“Humpty Dumpty” – Junjo (2006)
“I Adore You” – Esperanza (2008)
“I Am Telling You” – Exposure (2017)
“I Can’t Help It” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“I Do” – Exposure (2017)
“I Know You Know” – Esperanza (2008)
“I Want It Now” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“If That’s True” – Esperanza (2008)
“Inútil Paisagem” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Interlude for Saci” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Jazz Ain’t Nothin’ but Soul” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Jazz Is a Four-Letter Word” – TRIUNE (2025), with Nicholas Payton and Karriem Riggins
“Judas” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Junjo” – Junjo (2006)

K–O

“Knowledge of Good and Evil” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Land of the Free” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Late September” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Lest We Forget” – 12 Little Spells (Deluxe Edition) (2019)
“Let Her” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Let It Ride” – TRIUNE (2025), with Nicholas Payton and Karriem Riggins
“Little Fly” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Little Suede Shoes (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch
“Loro” – Junjo (2006)
“Loro (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch
“Love in Time” – Esperanza (2008)
“Mela” – Esperanza (2008)
“Midnight in Carlotta’s Hair (Live)” – Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (2022), with Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese
“Mompouana” – Junjo (2006)
“Morro Velho” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Move Many” – 12 Little Spells (Deluxe Edition) (2019)
“Não Ao Marco Temporal” – standalone single (2023)
“Não Ao Marco Temporal (Extended Version)” – standalone single (2023)
“Noble Nobles”Noble Nobles” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Now Know” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“One” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Outro Planeta” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Outubro” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento

P–T

“Perazela” – Junjo (2006)
“Perazuán” – Junjo (2006)
“Ponta de Areia” – Esperanza (2008)
“Precious” – Esperanza (2008)
“Public Trance It” – Exposure (2017)
“Radio Song” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Readying to Rise” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“Really Very Small” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Rest in Pleasure” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Sacred Grounds” – standalone single (2022), with Gystere
“Saci” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Samba em Prelúdio” – Esperanza (2008)
“Saudade dos Aviões da Panair (Conversando no Bar)” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“She Got to You” – Esperanza (2008)
“Short and Sweet” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Smile Like That” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Some Other Time (Live)” – Alive at the Village Vanguard (2023), with Fred Hersch
“Someplace Called “Where” (Live)” – Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival (2022), with Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Leo Genovese
“Swimming Toward the Black Dot” – Exposure (2017)
“Tangerine” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Thang” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“The Longing Deep Down” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“The Music Was There” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“The Peacocks” – Junjo (2006)
“The Way You Are” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“The Ways You Got the Love” – Exposure (2017)
“’Til the Next Full” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“To Tide Us Over” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“Touch in Mine” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“Trouble” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Two Bad” – Junjo (2006)

U–Z

“Ultraviolet” – TRIUNE (2025), with Nicholas Payton and Karriem Riggins
“Um Vento Passou (Para Paul Simon)” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Unconditional Love” – Emily’s D+Evolution (2016)
“Unconditional Love” – TRIUNE (2025), with Nicholas Payton and Karriem Riggins
“Unconditional Love (Alternate Version)” – Emily’s D+Evolution (Deluxe Edition) (2016)
“Vague Suspicions” – Radio Music Society (2012)
“Ways Together” – 12 Little Spells (Deluxe Edition) (2019)
“What a Friend” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“When You Dream” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Whisper” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Wild Is the Wind” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“Wings for the Thought Bird” – Milton + esperanza (2024), with Milton Nascimento
“Winning Machines” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Winter Sun” – Chamber Music Society (2010)
“With Others” – 12 Little Spells (2018)
“Word Jungle” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“Work of Art” – Exposure: Undeveloped (2017)
“You Have to Dance” – 12 Little Spells (2018)