Twenty-three-year-old Esperanza Spalding displays a musical ability that’s light-years ahead of her time. On her CD debut, the bilingual bassist, vocalist and composer offers an exceptional balance of love ballads, upbeat jazz tunes and universally appealing instrumentation. From her soothing “Ponta De Areia,” to the bubbly, head-bopping “If That’s True,” Spalding — unlike a lot of today’s young artsists — lets her music speak for itself. -gavin philip godfrey

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