Seraphina Lotkhamnga on February 16th, 2011

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The Grammys may have proved that they still have an ounce of class left when they awarded jazz artist, Esperanza Spalding, with Best New Artist on Sunday. As the first artist in her genre to win the category, the neo-soul musician gave much of America a reality check, showing that talent can still triumph over marketing schemes. Instead of flaunting a ridiculous feathery haircut to win over tween girls, the 26-year-old from Portland uses an upright bass for smooth, R&B-infused melodies that impressively provide listeners some cerebral stimulation. No hoodies or choreographed dance moves to mask the lack of originality here.

||| Live: Esperanza Spalding performs Feb. 26 at UCLA’s Bovard Auditorium.

||| Download: After the jump, trade your e-mail to get a nice little package about Spalding that includes mp3s of “Fall In” and “Short and Sweet.”

Photo by Sandrine Lee