Talent, Innovation, Style, Charisma, Passion and Versatility are just a few of the words that come to mind when people talk about the true artistry that has become Jill Scott's trademark.Jill's chameleon-like ability to passionately perform in an eclectic array of genres, from hip hop, to jazz, to urban alternative, to spoken word, to latin jazz and gospel, has led many of her fans and peers to call her "The Real Thing."
Jill Scott Collaborations is arguably the most unique set of collaborations by one artist ever assembled. The Jill Scott Collaborations CD has something for music fans of all types as it features many of Jill's collaborative efforts over the past six years including her incredible work with WILL SMITH, SERGIO MENDES AND WILL.I.AM of the Black Eyed Peas, MOS DEF, CHRIS BOTTI, AL JARREAU AND GEORGE BENSON, KIRK FRANKLIN, MOS DEF, LUPE FIASCO, and others.
At the time of its release, internet rumor had it that Collaborations was a "taster" project--that is, a sampler to whet listeners' appetites for Scott's long-awaited third solo album, due in summer of 2007. But Collaborations doesn't play like something you'd listen to once before throwing your napkin (or, more accurately, your earbuds) down. Not only does it genre-jump with the kind of precision you don't normally find in an artist pinned to a certain musical movement (in Scott's case, neo-soul), it throws the weight of its bold names around without straining or slacking under the pressure. The hit here is "Daydreamin'," a fuzz-encrusted slice of alternative hip-hop off Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, but there's so many other full-bodied contenders for mass adoration it could easily be eclipsed as the favorite. They include the soul-soaked "Said Enough," with the unmistakable Isley Brothers; the noirish thumper "8 Minutes to Sunrise," with Common (who also gets "Funky for You" together with Bilal); and "Slide," maybe the sexiest jazz-and-R&B hybrid ever to heat up a mainstream diva's disc. On that track, credit goes to Jeff Bradshaw for brilliance with his brass. But consider it: how many other singers could pull off sultriness alongside a trombone? Scott is a shape-shifting vocal wonder; Collaborations is the latest evidence. --Tammy La Gorce
