ANTHEM - CHRISTIAN SCOTT
Trumpeter Christian Scott’s impressive sophomore outing stands mighty as another compelling artistic response to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The Crescent City native, whose family home was obliterated by the floodwaters, colors his melancholic material with murky hues, often opting to blow the dark-toned cornet to emphasize the anguish and sorrow. Unlike his “Unwind That” debut, where Scott danced tunes into motion, here he largely broods on his horns of woe, as on the slowly soulful “Like That,” graced by his bandmates’ muted electric guitar and Rhodes textures. Scott also sounds a clarion call, evident on the finale, “Anthem (Post Diluvial Adaptation),” where he wails in righteous anger with high notes that complement the rap poetry of condemnation by guest Brother J of X-Clan. Even though a sober mood prevails, Scott brightens the picture with the hip-hop inflected “Re:” and the invigorating “The 9.”
