Esperanza Spalding: Who is the surprise Best New Artist?

Everybody and their mother-law started texting me and saying, Oh my God!'

Spalding was both pleased and bemused by the attention.

I mean, for jazz musicians, usually the recognition comes from your peers, she said.

If someone that you really respect artistically likes your record, thats all the award you need.

They dont remember how much really hard work it is to be a commercially successful entertainer.

So even if Im not familiar with their music, I respect their hard work.

Now I have to go check them out some more.

She is currently writing music for that album with an eye toward releasing it in late 2011.

Spalding recently supported Prince, whom she calls a dear friend, on hisWelcome 2 Americatour.

Im sure this will be no different.

Count it as just one more unusual honor for Spalding.

If few jazz singers receive such prominent Grammy recognition, perhaps even fewer are pals with the Purple One.

Everybody knows the hype of who he is as an artist, Spalding says.

But he also happens to be a really lovely person.

Hes a really, really cool dude.