The three-volume
Crates: Remix Fundamentals series made the score seven to three. That is, the
Hidden Beach label released seven
Jill Scott titles that were either compilations or live recordings, while only three studio albums of original material -- the Words and Sounds trilogy -- were issued.
Scott fans could be forgiven for being skeptical about yet another round of
Hidden Beach releases to follow the singer's departure to Warner Bros. Unsurprisingly, this first volume in the
Crates series is a mixed bag.
Ron Trent's atmospheric house mix of "Spring Summer Feeling" and
Jazzy Jeff's casually funky version of "A Long Walk" (originally released in 2001) are the standouts, and they both do right by
Scott's vocals. The sleek dance-pop "B-Sharp Clubin Mix" of "Come See Me," the work of
Jacques Richmond and
Bruce Walker, is surprisingly effective despite its radical departure from
Scott's sound. Otherwise, listeners will need to go into this with an open mind, knowing that the majority of these mixes could not possibly substitute for the originals. ~ Andy Kellman