Discovering Jill Scott.

As I sit here listening to the new album from Jill Scott, ‘The Light of the Sun’, and loving every second of it, I am reminded of the first time I heard her music and how she was introduced to me.

I wrote recently about listening to music at work (‘Music helps me get through the working day’)  and I am fortunate to be able to listen to music out loud as I work.  But many years ago I worked for a different company in the centre of London and I used to share a workspace with about 15 other people.  We used to all sit quietly and plug into our assorted music devices and go about our individual work.  It made for a very peaceful and productive work environment.

It was great to sit with colleagues on lunch and tea breaks and discuss our latest musical finds and share our CD’s with one another.  There’d be passionate debate as we agreed or disagreed with each others opinions, but the shared bond we had was our love of music.  One day one of my closest friends tapped me on the shoulder as I worked and handed me a CD.  He didn’t say too much about it, just something along the lines of “see what you think of this” and walked away. 

I held the CD case in my hand and saw a beautiful black woman’s face lit by red stage lighting and the title ‘Experience Jill Scott’ on the cover.  I slipped the disc into my CD player and pushed play.

From the ‘Show Intro’ and the crowd noise, band countdown and lead into ‘A Long Walk’ I knew this was something special.  The groove was immediately infectious and when Jill’s powerful, soulful voice kicked in goosebumps broke out on my arms.  As the album progressed her interactions with the audience felt like she was talking directly to me and my own emotions became as heightened as the audience on the recording.  As one song ended and I was still reeling from the emotion and the musical impact, the next would begin and I’d be knocked back a further step or two.  It was an immediate and deep reaction to her music.

I looked over my shoulder at my friend and he nodded at me in a knowing way and smiled.

By the time the last track, ‘He Loves Me’, started I was already a Jill Scott convert, but I didn’t realise I hadn’t heard anything yet.  This track starts slowly with Jill’s voice soothing it’s way into your heart and mind.  The audience sing along and were obviously feeling the music as deeply, if not more deeply, as I was beginning to.  Jill’s voice soared as she vocalised and as the intro gives way to the main body of the song and the tempo gradually picked up, my feet were quickly tapping along in unison.  This song starts off smoothly, jazzy and soulfully and by the end it is a full-on romp that is hard to fully describe.  As Jill and the backing singers sing ‘you incite me to chorus’ over and over you feel the emotional ache in your stomach grow until you believe it can’t get any bigger.  I honestly felt nothing would beat this and for a long time that was the case, until I heard another live version of this song on her ‘Live in Paris’ album, but that’s another story.

The album ended and I was left stunned.  I didn’t press play again, or put in another album.  I just sat quietly and felt the feelings running through my body. I took the disc out and handed the album back to my friend and simply said “Thank you”.  He remarked how it was “powerful stuff”, but I don’t think he realised just how much it had affected me.

(It’s worth mentioning that there is also a second disc of rare tracks, poetry reading and other live tracks, but it is that first live disc that hit me hardest and I only played the second disc at a later time.)

I went home via the record store and bought a copy of the album, as well as her debut and listened to them both non-stop for weeks.  Over the years I have looked out for Jill’s latest albums avidly and I have always bought them the week they were released.   I have read her poetry and watched the DVD, the only thing I have yet to do is see her live and I am on the lookout for the next tour dates and venues.

I have always been struck by Jill’s integrity to her art and music and I know that when I hear her music it comes from the heart and it has a deeper connection with me because of it.  She is a proud, soulful, creative artist and when she can create music of this calibre you are thankful that she is.

Sometimes, with music, the timing is just right and when you hear an album or artist under the right circumstances it has a greater impact than if you’d only heard them in passing.  I am fortunate that the first time I heard Jill I was able to feel her music deeply and keenly and I am glad this has remained the case when I’ve played her music over the years.

If you have yet to try any of her albums I can heartily recommend the album I talk about here.  It has a special place in my heart and I may be a little bit biased, but I truly believe it is high class music at it’s best.