San Francisco Black Film Festival 2013 Celebrates Year Fifteen. Co –Directors Kali O’ray and Katera Crossley Continue the Legacy of Ave Montague With Thought Provoking Films, Panels and Parties, San Francisco Black Film Festival XV June 13-16.

The Brotherhood/Sister Sol (BHSS) is pleased to announce our 9th annual VOICES celebration, to be held at Espace on Wednesday May 29th, 2013 in New York City. The honorees Esperanza Spalding, Grammy Award winning singer and bassist, and Susan L. Taylor, Editor in Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine, and Founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement, and special guest Tony Award nominated actor Norm Lewis (lead in Porgy and Bess, Scandal). This year’s event will include an awards reception, a silent auction, and words & performances by our award winning collective of poets.

The inception of ZERO GRAVITY began in 2006 and principal photography is now in progress. Join us in celebrating Wayne Shorter’s life and musical legacy by pledging to help us complete this film by 2014.

For the very first time Radio Music Society will be visiting South America! We are so exited to share with you all the tour dates that will bring us to the lovely cities of Lima (Peru), Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia (Brazil). Come join the Radio Music Society and turn the radio on! All tour dates here.

International Jazz Day Global Concert excerpt with Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, Ben Williams, Terri Lyne Carrington and Dale Barlow performing Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue” made into a classic by John Coltrane with lyrics by Oscar Brown. Jr Live from Istanbul Turkey on April 30, 2013. Watch now on Youtube!

The evening concert at Istanbul’s famed Hagia Irene will feature performances by stellar musicians from around the world, including pianists John Beasley, George Duke, Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Ramsey Lewis, Keiko Matsui and Eddie Palmieri; vocalists Rubén Blades, Al Jarreau, Milton Nascimento, Dianne Reeves and Joss Stone; trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Imer Demirer and Hugh Masekela; bassists James Genus, Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spalding and Ben Williams; drummers Terri Lyne Carrington and Vinnie Colaiuta; guitarists Bilal Karaman, John McLaughlin, Lee Ritenour and Joe Louis Walker; saxophonists Dale Barlow, Igor Butman, Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and Liu Yuan; clarinetists Anat Cohen and Hüsnü Şenlendirici; violinist Jean-Luc Ponty; Pedrito Martinez and Zakir Hussain on percussion and other special guests. John Beasley will be the event’s musical director. More info here.

On April 22nd, GRAMMY U participated in a refreshing sound check followed by a Q&A session with jazz bassist, singer and GRAMMY Award winner, Esperanza Spalding at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Spalding spoke to CBC Music last week, and due to her extremely busy schedule had about 10 minutes to spare. But she was very gracious with those 10 minutes, and to the suggestion that she respond to 10 snappy questions in a Proust questionnaire mould (albeit condensed). Consider it a quick peek into the inner world of Esperanza Spalding. Learn more here.

Inspired by his father, Bobby McFerrin is releasing a collection of devotional tunes, an idea that first captured his imagination 20 years ago.  The album, spirityouall (a twist on “spiritual”), arrives May 14 on Sony Masterworks with seven classic spirituals, five originals and a cover of Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released. McFerrin, 63, is joined by Esperanza Spalding (who sings on three tracks), bassist Larry Grenadier, multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, and drummers Ali Jackson and Charley Drayton. Arranger and musical director Gil Goldstein played accordion and keyboards. Learn more here.

Jazz virtuoso Esperanza Spalding brought a big band and a big sound to the Michigan Theater on Saturday. Between her superhuman vocal control and impressive bass playing—both electric and upright—Spalding’s performance was mesmerizing. Her 11-piece band, the Radio Music Society, was just as responsible for captivating Ann Arbor’s crowd. The layers of sound created by the large horn section, drums, keyboard, guitar, and Spalding on bass diverged, converged, and went on wonderful tangents. At times it made your brain tingle. In all, the songstress and her band put on an energetic, technically sophisticated show.

Grammy Award-winning jazz singer, bassist and composer Esperanza Spalding  will perform live in a free show Monday, April 15, 2013, at UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center (ASC). Spalding is set to take the stage at 7:30 p.m. in the Jemison Concert Hall at the ASC, 1200 10th Ave. South.  The concert is open to the public. Call 205-975-2787 for information. Learn more here.

Knoxville.com is giving away tickets to Esperanza Spalding’s upcoming concert at the Tennessee Theatre!  Each winner will get a pair of tickets to the Sunday, April 14, show. Entering our giveaway is simple. Just go to the contest area on our Knoxville.com Facebook page and follow the instructions. Enter before midnight on April 8.

For more than six years, Esperanza has personally supported Earthjustice in our work to protect endangered species and to preserve wild lands as well as our campaigns against coal and Arctic drilling. This year, Esperanza has generously offered to support Earthjustice through her music—and her artistry. Earthjustice will be the beneficiary of a percentage of certain merchandise at Esperanza’s U.S. Concert Tour this spring. In addition Esperanza has designed an exclusive, special edition eco-friendly scarf for Front Row Society, available at Nordstrom stores in 2013 with 10 percent of the proceeds benefiting Earthjustice. Learn more here.

For more than six years, Esperanza has personally supported Earthjustice in our work to protect endangered species and to preserve wild lands as well as our campaigns against coal and Arctic drilling. This year, Esperanza has generously offered to support Earthjustice through her music—and her artistry. Learn more here.

Esperanza Spalding talks about environment with SierraClub.org where she talks about her most recent GRAMMY awarded album, Radio Music Society , that has a track called “Endangered Species,” whose proceeds from her merch sales on her North America tour in April benefit Earthjustice and the Amazon Aid Foundation . Learn more here.