by Giovanni Russonello
Editor-in-chief

If you think all that smoky blur in Christian Scott’s trumpet playing is meant to soften a blow, or ease you into a carefree state, you might want to listen a little closer. On his latest solo album, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, which features titles such as “American’t” and “K.K.P.D.,” Scott presents himself with an unflinching sense of indignation and determination – albeit soft-spoken.

To the 28-year-old Scott, it’s all part of everyday life. “I think life is politics. As I understand it, politics is just the dissemination of power among people, and I think everything has to be political,” he told me on the phone earlier this week, as he took a break from rehearsing with his band. “The title of the album is saying that procrastination is not necessarily the best mode of operating. It’s about changing things now, in the moment, achieving as much change when you have the opportunity to do so.”

Christian Scott, “K.K.P.D.”
[audio:https://www.capitalbop.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/01-K.K.P.D..mp3|titles=K.K.P.D.]

Even on his wordless cover of indie rock icon Thom Yorke’s “The Eraser,” it’s easy to hear the weight of deep sighs, a thousand voices erased. Just maybe, it will put you in mind of Troy Davis, whose fighting spirit just yesterday found itself flicked off by the state.  

Christian Scott, who arrives in D.C. tomorrow for a two-night run at Bohemian Caverns, topped the 2009 DownBeat Critics’ Poll for rising star trumpeter. He’s been on the cover of the magazine twice. Yesterday You Said Tomorrow – Scott’s fourth record as a leader and his best synthesis of classic jazz with contemporary indie, hip-hop and electronic music influences – made NPR’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2010. In a world where protest culture seems supplanted by a multimedia society more susceptible to quick-hit escapism, it’s refreshing to find an unabashed, socially guided artist achieving such recognition. Then again, if you were to ignore the statements and simply listen to the slow-dripping, pensive sounds of Scott’s quintet, there’d be no arguing the fact that it’s captivating music.

At Bohemian tomorrow, Scott will be reunited with drummer John Lamkin III, a Baltimore resident who played for a decade in the band of Donald Harrison. Harrison is a famous New Orleans saxophonist who also happens to be Scott’s uncle, and it was in his group that the young trumpeter got his start.

In 2008, just after the release of Scott’s well-received album Anthem, Lamkin dragged him to a late-night jam session at Bohemian. That’s when Scott met Kris Funn, the remarkable D.C. bassist who has played in his quintet ever since. Instead of a simple nice-to-meet-you, Scott got a crash course in Funn’s trademark, droll sense of humor.

“I had been hearing about Kris Funn for years, and it was the first time I got a chance to really hear him play,” Scott recalled. “I actually asked him at the gig if he wanted to be in the band, and he said no. I was like, ‘What do you mean, no?’ I thought, ‘Well, let me see if I tell him how much it pays, he’ll say yes.’ So I told him, ‘Look, this is how much the gig pays,’ and he was like, ‘Hell no!’ So I went back to the bar to have a drink, and he came up to me and said, ‘Yo, I was joking, man. Of course I want to do the gig.’”

Scott is no stranger to great bass players; before Funn, the spot was filled by the likes of Esperanza Spalding and Joe Sanders. But according to Scott, his current bassist “has that thing that everybody looks for. When a bass player plays in what they call a ‘hump,’ that’s the ideal … because not only do they have the sound, they also have the fundamentals to be able to get the job done…. Kris is fantastic.”

While Lamkin will be with the band on Friday night, Jamire Williams – Scott’s regular drummer, and a major rising star in his own right – will perform on Saturday. That means the whole Christian Scott Quintet will be onstage the second night. With the cavernous guitar sound of Matt Stevens and the strong pianism of Lawrence Fields rounding out the bunch, both evenings are sure to be burners.

Maybe you’re looking to put your finger on the pulse of contemporary jazz, dust for clues about where the music’s headed. Or you could be itching for some music with a righteous political bent. Possibly, you’d like to know what kind of music comes out of a prescient kid who cites John Coltrane, Bob Dylan and Saul Williams as three major influences. In any case, Christian Scott will be waiting for you on U Street this weekend.

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The Christian Scott Quintet plays at Bohemian Caverns on Friday and Saturday, at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. both nights. The first evening features John Lamkin III on drums, the second Jamire Williams. Tickets are $22, and there is no food and drink minimum. More info is available here, and you can purchase tickets here.

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