CHRISTIAN SCOTT.Byline: -- Fred Shuster Among the the brightest jazz stars to emerge in the last few years is acclaimed trumpeter Christian Scott Christian Scott is an American jazz musician from New Orleans, Louisiana who graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 2004.[1] He currently leads a modern jazz ensemble of his own name. . Scott, whose debut album ``Rewind That,'' manages to sidestep side·step v. side·stepped, side·step·ping, side·steps v.intr. 1. To step aside: sidestepped to make way for the runner. 2. the usual bebop bebop or bop Jazz characterized by harmonic complexity, convoluted melodic lines, and frequent shifting of rhythmic accent. In the mid-1940s, a group of musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker, rejected the conventions of retreads of other traditionally minded young players, delivers smart, plugged-in modern music backed by a group of accomplished players. Although steeped in the history of jazz -- especially the classic Blue Note sound of lyrical trumpet greats such as Lee Morgan Lee Morgan (10 July, 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 19 February, 1972 in New York City) was an American hard bop trumpeter. Life and career Morgan was a jazz prodigy, first picking up the trumpet on about the age of thirteeen or so, after developing an interest in , Blue Mitchell Richard Allen (Blue) Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock, and funk trumpeter. He was born and grew up in Miami, Florida. Mitchell began playing trumpet in high school where he acquired his nickname. and Freddie Hubbard -- Scott, a New Orleans native and Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945, is an independent music college in Boston, Massachusetts, with many prominent faculty, staff, alumni, and visiting artists. It has an enrollment of approximately 3,900 students and a 2004 faculty of approximately 430. grad, represents a new generation of Crescent City horn-blowers. ``I really believe in playing on top of a groove,'' Scott, 23, said. ``I set out to find my own style to convey how I feel in my heart. I'm not thinking about how many bebop licks I can play, I'm going for emotion every time I perform. A good, solid groove helps make that happen.'' Local audiences will experience that commitment firsthand Sunday when Scott appears at the Playboy Jazz Festival The Playboy Jazz Festival is an annual event sponsored by Playboy Enterprises to celebrate jazz as well as feature both established and up and coming musicians of the genre. It was founded by Hugh Hefner and was first held in Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Stadium in 1959. . ``Playing outdoors -- you have to trust the sound guys,'' Scott said. ``I could play the Bowl without a microphone, and I'd probably be heard for 200 yards, but you can't do that. People are there for all kinds of reasons -- to spend the day outdoors, to eat and drink, to hear music, to see friends. I'm not into hitting them over the head with volume, but on the other hand, you have to let them know there's something going on up on stage that's worth paying attention to.'' Scott, who splits his time between New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Boston when not working, first gained notice while playing with his uncle, renowned alto saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr. He landed the gig at age 16. ``Donald taught me how important it is to be identifiable,'' Scott said. ``He also warned me not to listen to many of the trumpet players who are active today, to avoid sounding like them.'' Good advice. Scott is developing a distinctive voice on his instrument. His breathy breath·y adj. breath·i·er, breath·i·est Marked by or as if by audible or noisy breathing: a breathy voice. breath tone, which some critics have likened to Ben Webster's warm tenor saxophone sound, is the result of trying to make the trumpet sound like a conversational human voice rather than the piercing cry more common to the instrument. `It took me two years of concentration to come up with that tone,'' says Scott, who got technique pointers from veteran horn player Clark Terry. ``Apparently, (trumpet legend) Clifford Brown figured out a way to get that sound, even though there are no recordings of him doing it. Instead of blowing cold air into the instrument, Clifford squeezed out warm air from his diaphragm that created a more breathy tone. I like it because it makes the trumpet sound like the human voice.'' Jazz guitar fans have an extra treat in store Sunday -- joining Scott on stage is Matt Stevens, who almost steals the show from Scott on ``Rewind That,'' in which most of the tracks feature the guitarist's dizzying, contemporary-sounding lines. ``Everyone wanted me to do a straight-ahead album,'' explains Scott, ``but that's like meeting a woman and trying to be like her last boyfriend. You've got to be special.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: no caption (Christian Scott) |
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