Jazz is never going to die. Too many hip-hop producers sample jazz music for that to happen. But what to make of the modern-day jazz musician's place in a celebrity-obsessed music climate?

Chances are, the days of a traditional jazz musician transcending the genre are long gone. In the past decade, the popularity of jazz has been in a steep decline. In 2000, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, jazz records accounted for 3 percent of all recording sales; by 2008 they accounted for only 1.1 percent.

But if there were any hope at all for a jazz artist to buck the downward trend, the responsibility would lie on the shoulders of Esperanza Spalding -- the brilliant, exciting bassist-vocalist whose eponymous debut album sold a respectable 72,000 copies when it was released in May 2008, according to Nielsen Soundscan, making it the 17th best-selling jazz album of the year. No small feat, when one considers the jazz genre's seemingly endless discography of legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. (She also sold 42,000 digital singles that same year.)

With the recent release of her sophomore CD, Chamber Music Society, it will be interesting to see if Spalding can deliver on the promise of her first effort. But even with all the mainstream appeal she's garnered in her still-fresh career, Spalding's new album is a sophisticated effort, with none of the flash to accompany the hype that surrounds her. She insists that this is how it should be.

"We're musicians first," Spalding tells The Root. "There's a whole amazing team of businesspeople who can handle all the business stuff, figuring out the best way to promote."

Thus far, Spalding's team has done a great job promoting the Portland, Ore., native. Not only is she being seen on the cover of niche magazines like jazz's monthly tome, DownBeat (she's on the cover of the September issue), but her team has also booked her for performances on mainstream shows like the Late Show With David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Then again, this can also be attributed to Spalding herself. After all, she does have a look teeming with star appeal. From her youthful energy (she's only 25) to the big hair to the mega-watt smile, Spalding is a label marketer's dream. But it's not just her looks that attract the attention of companies like Banana Republic, which featured her in its spring-summer ad campaigns last year. There is, after all, something to be said for talent.