One of the surest signs that the members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) have upped their hipness credentials considerably is this year’s huge surprise Grammy winner for Best New Artist, a 26-year-old jazz bassist who just controversially beat out even the seemingly unstoppable Justin Bieber. And that would be Esperanza Spalding–an enormously talented artist whose style and skills are musical first, and–unlike many of her predecessors–by no means intentionally commercial. It’s just working out that way.
