CHRISTIAN SCOTT
Anthem
Concord
Read
the Jazzitude review of Christian Scott/Rewind That
Christian Scott’s debut album, Rewind
That, announced the arrival of a profound new talent
on the jazz scene, and the followup, Anthem, confirms
that announcement with distinction. The new disc is inspired
by the struggles of Scott’s hometown of New Orleans
in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, but it also celebrates
his own personal growth and the general human journey that
is life. That all of this can be heard in his work speaks
volumes about this young performer.
The mood on Anthem is definitely more somber
than on Rewind That, but the overall approach Scott
takes to his music is similar. While he embraces and uses
rhythmic bases found in hip-hop and rock music as well as
modern chill out sounds, it would be hard not to indentify
his music as jazz based. First, his laid back trumpet sound
makes excellent use of space in a way that musicians in
pop music rarely do. Then there is the flat out beauty of
his playing. When his trumpet rises high above the rest
of the group, as on “Void” or winds its way
around the sound of Louis Fouche’s soprano sax on
“Cease Fire,” one cannot help but feel that
Scott is a distinctive new jazz trumpet voice.
Scott’s supporting cast here includes
keyboard player Aaron Parks, drummer Marcus Gilmore, guitarist
Matt Stevens, and bassist Luques Curtis (Esperanza Spalding
plays bass on two tracks as well). These musicians form
a cohesive unit that roils and churns, allowing Scott to
float high above the fray. On the tracks “Dialect”
and “Re:” they are a powerful unit that could
easily draw attention away from a frontman with less self
assurance than Scott displays here.
Best of all, Scott truly swings and he plays
like a jazz trumpet player, regardless of what you want
to call the styles that his rhythm section employs. In addition,
there are recurrent themes and motifs that run like threads
through the album, creating a real cohesive listening experience.
Anthem didn’t initially grab me the same
way that Rewind That did, and that may partially
be because it strikes a more melancholy tone. However, with
repeated listening Anthem reveals itself to be
every bit as fresh as its predecessor, and perhaps even
more accomplished.
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