Jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding wasn’t the favorite to be named best new artist, but she’s perhaps the most adventurous artist in the crop. So it’s rare for a jazz artist to win: In 2008, Herbie Hancocks River: The Joni Letters was named album of the year, the first jazz title to lead the field in about 50 years, and Norah Jones, who leans decidedly more toward pop, was named best new artist in 2003, one of the few talents with a jazz background to lead the field. Mumford & Sons as the folksy act seemed more like Grammy artists, but Spalding, three albums in, has had the critical and industry support for a few years now. So it’s not her first, but she’s an artist deserving of more recognition, and one the Grammy Awards should be highlighting. So ... Grammy voters, congrats. You got this one right.
Todd Martens (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)