Hailed as a prodigy on the acoustic double bass within months of first touching the instrument as a 15-year-old, Esperanza Spalding, born in 1984, has emerged as a fine jazz bassist, but has also distinguished herself playing blues, funk, hip-hop, pop fusion, and Brazilian and Afro-Cuban styles as well. In 2011, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards making her the first jazz artist to win the award.