George Haffenden
Nearly five years since the release of her last solo album The Light of The Sun, Jill Scott is back with her delightful new single ‘You Don’t Know’. Scott has been undoubtedly one of the shining lights in the neo-soul movement over the past decade or so, with her last album being a master-class in modern soul music, featuring that incredible duet with Anthony Hamilton on ‘So In Love’. On her latest single, taken from her forthcoming album, Scott changes her sound, opting instead for the gritty southern Memphis rhythm and blues sound.
Backed by Questlove on drums, ‘You Don’t Know’ has all the elements of an Al Green/Ann Peebles Memphis soul classic: a blaring horn section, a tight-drum leading the rhythm section, and the impassioned vocals in the style of Green, or even Aretha Franklin on her sixties Memphis recorded material. It stands in contrast to her earlier work, but in many ways this is perhaps a natural progression. This is clearly the sound that influenced Scott, and with Dap-Tone Records along with the Truth ‘N Soul label re-energising the sixties soul sound with acts like Sharon Jones, Lee Fields and Charles Bradley, it is a great time to release such a record.
It’s great to hear Jill Scott back releasing new material, mixing her great vocal style with the classic soul of the sixties. If this single is anything to go by, we are in for a right treat of a new album later this year.