Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
The year 2000 was to so-called neo-soul what the year 1959 was to so-called jazz. In 1959, the world got albums like Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue,” Charles Mingus’ “Mingus Ah-Um” and Ornette Coleman’s “The Shape of Jazz to Come.” In 2000, the world got albums like D’Angelo’s “Voodoo,” Erykah Badu’s “Mama’s Gun” and Musiq Soulchild’s “Aijuswanaseing.”
In that transformative transition year that ushered in a new century, Jill Scott stood out among the slew of amazing Black music masterstrokes. Getting her first writing placement just a year before on The Roots’ Grammy-winning single, “You Got Me,” Scott unleashed her debut, “Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1.”
Twenty-three years later, Scott descended on the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) to celebrate with fans the enduring power and prestige of that debut. The singer-songwriter, affectionally known by her fans as “Jilly From Philly,” was an earthy and elegant vision as she performed “Who is Jill Scott” for her Newark, New Jersey, fans from front to back.
Scott launched the “Who is Jill Scott Tour” in the early Spring 2020, the album’s 20th anniversary. After only a handful of shows, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tour. This winter, she relaunched it, thrilling loyal fans waiting to share the music with her.
Sharing is the optimal word for the “Who is Jill Scott” concert….
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