Track Listing

1. Litany Against Fear
2. Void
3. Anthem (Antediluvian Adaptation)
4. Re:
5. Cease Fire
6. Dialect
7. Remains Distant
8. The Uprising
9. Katrina's Eyes
10. The 9
11. Like That
12. Anthem (Postdiluvial Adaptation)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11935 in Music
• Released on: 2007-08-28
• Number of discs: 1

About the Artist
If such an award were given to a first-time leader in the jazz league, trumpeter Christian Scott would have hands-down scored Rookie of the Year honors for his superb Grammy nominated debut, Rewind That. A year older and a year wiser, the 24-year-old Scott returns with his remarkable sophomore disc for Concord, Anthem. It's a powerful collection of 12 pieces teeming with jazz, indie rock, neo-soul and hip-hop sensibilities. While the tunes are partially informed by the New Orleans native's ruminations on the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Katrina, Scott hastens to note that Anthem also reflects the many changes he's gone through in the past year, ranging from his romantic life to his maturation as an artist. "My life changed completely," he says. "So, the compositions on Anthem aren't just about one thing. They're about all kinds of things, while they definitely have some political undertones. But, one thing is certain. The house I grew up in is gone. There's no home in the Ninth Ward."

Like Rewind That, Anthem doesn't adhere to the swing-and-blues rules of straight-ahead jazz. As he told DownBeat last year, "Ninety-nine percent of the time, [jazz] musicians come out swinging. But why bother? It's not that I can't swing. I can, and I love it, but what I'm doing does not have to sound like what other people want me to sound like." On Anthem, Marcus Gilmore's drums often connect with a neo-soul, hip-hop groove; pianist Aaron Parks, who also mans a Fender Rhodes and synths, and electric guitarist Matt Stevens play with rock music in their veins; and the funky finale track, "Anthem (Post Diluvial Adaptation," features the rapping of X-Clan's Brother J and righteous-anger trumpeting by the leader.

Album Description
Grammy Award nominated trumpeter Christian Scott returns with his sophomore release, Anthem; a powerful collection of 12 pieces teeming with jazz, indie rock, neo-soul and hip-hop sensibilities.

Customer Reviews

Late Miles meets Radiohead, or Ben Allison meets Marcus Miller
This CD stands out from the average jazz disc, because the band plays a lot like a rock band. The typical song (they all have the same 'sound', except for one which dips into smooth jazz territory) is midtempo, with the drummer hitting the snare on the 2 and 4 (like a rock or R&B drummer). The keyboardist plays a minor key melody, but in a rock style, playing sequential eighth notes. The bass player plays a funky bassline. That sets things up for Christian Scott, who plays a lot of slow moody trumpet on this CD. His trumpet playing is also minimalistic, it's reminiscent of late Miles, but with a stronger tone. I've probably done the equivalent of describing a birthday cake by talking about flour, butter, and whatnot, but it all comes together. The songs on Anthem are about Katrina and violence, and he keeps it consistant -- there's no Lee Morgan hard bop soloing over a walking bassline. This is a very good CD, and it's certainly unique. Mr. Scott walks the tightrope between good-simple and blah-smooth-simple very well. In addition, the final rap song ties together jazz and the spoken word better than Mingus was able to do (though if Mingus hooked up with a time-travelling rapper in 1959 - look out). Anyone who likes jazz with rock song forms should get this.

2007 Jazz Album of the Year!!!
Without question, this record should be the top Contemporary Jazz album of 2007, if not the top Jazz album of 2007. An incredible, powerful and moving effort by Scott that makes his solid rookie effort, "Rewind That", seem ordinary. That effort was a good listen - particularly for a first album. But try "Anthem" and be moved by what Jazz "iz" today. You will be moved and wonderfully entertained all at once with this terrific cd.

Brilliant
I was listening to a local college station, Temple, driving to work one night and heard Katrina's eyes. It had such an impact on me that while driving I tried to write down his name and the song title. I scratched it on a piece of paper then when I got to work I immediately ordered the CD. I was not disappointed. The rest of the CD is just as good...well worth it!