Christian Scott, nephew of famed New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison, makes his Concord Records debut on Rewind That. It’s a debut that relies on hip-hop and rhythm and blues influences with a strong nod to Miles Davis’ late electric period. Recorded in early 2005 at the Fantasy Records studios in Berkeley, Scott also has his uncle along on four tracks. Scott wrote all the compositions on this CD except for Miles’ So What and Harrison’s Paradise Found.
Band members include Walter Smith III, who has a nice feature on sax on Say It, as does guitarist Matt Stevens. Drummer Thomas Pridgen is prominently featured on most tracks.
Scott shows his ballad skills on Like This – one of the stronger tracks on this CD. Davis‚ So What, has effective interplay between Scott, bassist Luques Curtis, and drummer Pridgen, all done in an R & B fashion. She is another showcase for Scott with pleasant solo time Zaccai Curtis on Fender Rhodes. Pridgen’s overbearing drums here take away the mellow mood, however. Scott regains control on the modal Caught Up and on his Uncle Donald’s Paradise Found, with Harrison providing a mature solo of his own.
Scott’s debut CD shows a young artist searching for an audience, whether it be the hip-hop crowd or the straight jazz fan. Rewind That provides an intriguing visit for both communities.
Tracks: Rewind That, Say It, Like This, So What, Rejection, Lay in Vein, She, Suicide, Caught Up, Paradise Found, Kiel
– Jeff Krow
