I reviewed both of Jill Scott’s albums last year and they were both listed as favorites not only from her, but for the year period. It’s always interesting to see the artists perform and act out their albums (See Jill Scott at the last year’s BET Awards for more). The special thing about Jill is that she has her roots in open mic and the poetry set so she really has a knack for creatively expressing herself. Needless to say, once I found out about this episode of VH1 Storytellers, I was amped.
There’s something about watching an artist like Jill perform over live instruments that goes beyond CD’s and explanation. The opportunity to witness her get lost in the moment, do those runs that haven’t been rehearsed or planned, see the tears and observe the sincerity makes the music that much better. When you combine that with the freedom to provide just a bit of back-story to each story performed, you get some incredible moments…it’s like Musical Church. The shinning moment of the night came when she performed “L’yzel In E Flat”. Wait for it in the video but let’s just say she seemed to ascend to a new level with that performance.
