To Whom This May Concern

On Jill Scott - Blue Note February 14, 2026

My wish for Jill Scott is that she is cradled as lovingly as the words she uses to hold us. That she is touched by the same gentleness that she uses to speak life into our souls. That she is seen deeply, fully, wholly and appreciated for who she is and what she brings to music, to art, to how we reclaim our humanity in dire times. My hope is that people hear her album and embrace the rhythms that trace back generations and centuries, that they hear the names and remember loved ones who called their names in praise and prayer, with faith for better days. My wish is that hope is a light that shines in all of us, opening us up like flowers to possibilities when we hear her music. I hope that we find respite, healing and affirmation, and we have the temerity to reflect it back and amplify it in our own communities.

Jill Scott cultivates a level of care through her music that proves home is an energy that goes beyond space and lineage. It is love passed down from generations, in the care and keeping of neighbors, in shared spaces and meals prepared with care for community. Live instrumentation backs complex harmonies that compliment her voice as it booms, washes, rolls and ultimately embraces the crowd. People raise their hands in supplication, reminding us all that music is a divine art, it transforms.

Without phones, without the need to record we can be present, with the music, with our neighbors, with strangers and lovers. The music and the moment call us back to simpler times, before the cacophony of an oppressive world. It is like the ocean, constantly present, ebbing, flowing and ever complex. It is the juxtaposition of tender and firm, a warmth that is so chill it radiates, calming rather than burning.

The flowing fabric of her dress evokes visions of Simbi as she swoons, sings, and sways. Navy and black stripes, lace and silk draped loosely, with curls flowing. She makes the moment. She is singular, the only woman on stage with a keyboard player, two percussionists, a bass and guitar player, three background singers, a sax player who flips to the flute and a trumpet man. She doesn’t drown in the sound, she commands it across words, memories, acknowledgments and admonishments.

There is so much in such a short span of time. Moments to sing along to the classics, moments to acknowledge the new jams, and space to enjoy the textures of the harmonies as they intersect like well oiled gears turning in time and rhythm. It is a sold out show. For Valentine’s Day, for lovers not just of their paramour, but lovers of history, poetry, music and the culture. It is a reminder of the love of self and the ever present opportunity for rebirth. It is a reminder of the best of what we can be.

The set was about sixty five minutes. It was addictive. Like being fed from the best of the cookout on a warm summer night. There was a binder, full of plastic encased pages and covered in stickers like Supreme. It held the roadmap to our night. The speed, the delivery, the form were all controlled by Jill Scott as she checked in with the crowd, celebrating the artistry that is live music. The band and the background singers all wore black. It wasn’t uniform or boring but they were united, looking to each other for cues, deciding when and how to deliver the set list, together as the crowd joined in, celebrating.

My wish for all of us is that we appreciate the gift of being present. My wish is that we don’t take for granted the people speaking life into us through song and that we find and embrace all of the shades and flavors of love that life has to offer. May her album and the experience of her music be a healing love letter to the loneliness that cripples so many and remind us that in the moment and the music we can be better together.

Partial setlist below:

• Sincerely Do

• Offdaback

• Pressha

• Disclaimer

• Pay U on Tuesday

• Rolling Hills

• Don’t Play

• A Universe

• Crown Royal (Intimate Mix)

• Liftin’ Me Up

• A Long Walk

• Beautiful People

• The Way (Down tempo )