Jill Scott

Experience Jill Scott: 826+

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Editor's Review:

Jill Scott hit the music scene hard last year with Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1, a stellar debut release full of thick, juicy soul, funk and jazz tracks courtesy of Philly legend Jeff Townes, a.k.a. DJ Jazzy Jeff. Scott's signature voice was initially compared to her contemporaries, most notably Erykah Badu, but there is something wholly unique to Scott's croon, which is a comfortable, familiar tone that is accented by exciting and sexy, yet soft, lilting peaks and solid, deep and rich valleys.
With Experience 826+, Scott's follow up to Words and Sounds, her commanding presence is captured in the live setting, at a show in Washington D.C. Through it all, it's Scott's understanding of the relationship between vocals and music that really makes it all click effortlessly and beautifully. Some numbers are presented almost exactly as they appear on the album, and others are greatly varied. Scott's most famous song, the single "A Long Walk," is amended with "(Groove)" in the title, and carries on for over six minutes; Scott applying changes to the vocal delivery as her live band, Fatback Taffy, takes the original music and runs it through the jazz grinder, retaining enough of the original melody to hold the number in tact, but the tempo, phrasing and arrangement have been changed. The result is a new, more aggressive vibe that exudes with a smooth, swinging force. This package also includes an extra CD that contains some new songs with notable guests, some live material and a remix.
- Max Sidman

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