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The late Gil Scott-Heron is revered as one of the founding fathers of spoken word. He and his musical co-conspirators invented a style at the crossroads of jazz, soul, blues, and funk: deeply political and in turns terrifying and uplifting. Keyboard player and flutist Brian Jackson co-composed many of the poet’s recorded masterpieces. The pair’s 1974 Winter in America was lauded as “a masterwork of ghetto melancholia and stark political gravitas,” and included their most commercially successful song, “The Bottle.” This project both pays homage to Scott-Heron and continues his work—from his sharp and speculative vision to his poetic versatility.

Thanks to Consulat général de France à Vancouver.