Tags

, ,

Christian Scott

Christian Scott

New Orleans native and trumpeter Christian Scott steps boldly outside the glass ceiling of traditional and contemporary jazz with 12 new enthralling compositions from his masterful sophomore release on Concord Records appropriately titled “Anthem.”

Now, for those of you that might be stuck in time-warp or one particular genre then Scott’s latest endeavor might be a little over the top for you. With that said, after his debut Grammy nominated “Rewind This” it was only expected that Christian would deliver a wealth of inspiring music on this project to endure with each spin. Oh yeah, Christian’s voice unquestionably echoes gracefully, yet he daringly attacks each heartfelt note on this project with vigor. He immediately makes his statement with the opening piece with the dark fusion inspired piece titled “Litany Against Fear.” His piercing, yet mournful cry [In remembrance of Katrina] compositionally is saying, “dare me” if you will as his prolific voice courageously takes you on a joyous and unexpected journey.

As I listened, Scott’s transcending voice rises above of what’s played on radio and cd players for that matter. Yes, brother Christian Scott is serious about playing as he speaks with conviction on “Anthem” as his sidemen executes with devastating results and kind of impact worth savoring.

In an interview with Tavis Smiley [9/20/07] he was asked, “Why you choose to play primarily your stuff live, versa the classics? Scott says, “every now and then, he plays the classics but he feels that original material is missing from the pulse of the mainstream of what’s normally played by jazz musicians.” He’d rather change the music to give his musicians and opportunity to express themselves and give the next generation something notable to bite into [more or less]. No doubt, this is why I love this guy’s attitude about music. He simply loves to play, he’s innovative, creative, and he’s confidant yet humble enough to express himself beyond the box musically. If you’re looking for something fresh musically, then be daring my friend and add this jewel of a recording by Christian Scott to your collection.

~ The Urban Flux