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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