When Christian Scott’s mother and grandmother gave him his first trumpet at the age of 12 they gave a gift to the world. He would take that trumpet and learn to blow it as naturally as the wind blows through the trees on a crisp fall day. His new album Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, makes me so very thankful that I am not deaf. The opening song, “K.K.P.D”, starts with what sounds like an argument between the players who are only allowed to speak through their instruments. Then at around one minute in, the hierarchy seems to be worked out as the band falls in line behind the amazing drum rhythm laid down by Jamire Williams and moves on there way together in harmony. Christian Scott’s “whisper technique” that he voices with his horn is masterful and brings to mind the great voice of Miles Davis during his fusion years. Christian makes the sound his own as he invites you to follow his horn though the music as if you’re following the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole.
An unlikely cover of Thom Yorke’s “The Eraser” from his solo album of the same name is much smoother but never gives you the sense that you should take your seatbelt off. The fuzz treated piano makes the speakers vibrate while Scott’s horn comes in and cools everything off like a fire hose in the shape of a trumpet. The song works beautifully in ways I never thought imaginable. It is clear by this point on the album that Christian Scott didn’t just throw together a group of musicians but instead hand selected genius.
In the liner notes written by Christian Scott he says, ‘Yesterday You Said Tomorrow was designed in subject matter and sound to have the brevity and character of the 60’s (the John Coltrane Quartet, Miles’ Davis 2nd Quintet, Bob Dylan, Hendrix, Mingus, etc), a period when music was in direct relationship to society in view and application.” With songs like “Angola, LA & The 13th Amendment” and “American’t” he accomplishes his goal amazingly well. The key ingredient is the adding of legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder. His genius added to that of Christian Scott and his band is like adding lobster to lobster. It is truly almost unfair to anyone else releasing a jazz album to have to compete with Yesterday You Said Tomorrow as it’s like trying to beat an East German swimmer in 1976.
Christain Scott achieves his vision on this album and raises the bar for others who follow him to release complete albums that serve as more than just notes strung together for the melody. The entire album is a testament to what one can do if he or she possesses a vision and the drive to see it through.
Key Tracks: American, The Eraser, Angola, LA & the 13th Amendment
Doug Morrissey- MuzikReviews.com Staff
June 12, 2010
