JILL SCOTT
Who Is Jill Scott? (Hidden Beach/Epic)
Rating: 6 out of 7
By Billy Johnson, Jr.

   Credit Jill Scott for the memorable chorus to The Roots’ Grammy winning "You Got Me." She wrote it. Erykah Badu sang it. And even though the Philly native with soul music’s prettiest voice in some time has been featured on a number of records and soundtracks, it’s more important to note her stint in the Broadway production of Rent. It indicates she’s drawing from a broader range of experience than the average R&B singer.
   Many pop singers have profited from weak, cute sopranos, but Jill shows what happens when you back up style with a strong set of pipes. Her controlled vocalizing shines throughout her 73-minute debut, which delves deep into relationships, both happy and sad, using several techniques to make her point. There’s the sister-girl spoken-word account of meeting her man’s other woman in the grocery store on the musically sparse "Exclusively." On "Gettin’ In The Way," an ode to her man’s ex, she’s just sassy enough: "I’ve been a lady up until now/Don’t know how much more I can take/Queens shouldn’t swing/If you know what I mean/But I’m about to take my earrings off/Get me some Vaseline." 
   But it’s not all gloomy, thanks to Jazzy Jeff’s (remember Will Smith’s old pal?) production team A Touch Of Jazz, which brings the company name to life, molding simmering, smooth jazz structures that raise the bar for today’s predictable R&B. 
   On the sexy "Love Rain," the informing "Watching Me," or the encouraging "Brotha," Jill brings that Mary J. Blige/Aretha Franklin brand of gut-felt emotion without the commercial edge. The timing couldn’t have been better.


All recordings courtesy of Hidden Beach Records. "Gettin’ In The Way" and "Love Rain" written by J. Scott, V. Davis; courtesy of Blues Baby Music/JATCAT Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Double Ohh Eight Music/Touched By Jazz/EMI April Music Inc. "Slowly, Surely" written by J. Scott, D. Henson, D. Thompson; courtesy of Blues Baby Music/JATCAT Music Publishing (ASCAP)/No Gravity/Touched By Jazz/EMI April Music Inc./Christopher Lambert Music (BMI).