We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
New Orleans-born trumpeter Christian Scott calls his genre (and his latest album) Stretch Music. Yes, it’s rooted in jazz, but Scott and his band have expanded the parameters a bit. Scott’s drummer uses a djembe drum and an electronic midi kit to add both African and bass-heavy, club-influenced beats to his sound, while his guitarist is fond of jazz fusion and rock. Scott, meanwhile, offers notes inspired by the Mardi Gras Indian revelers he grew up with and melodic old-school Miles Davis tracks, enhanced with his own unique phrasing. Though he uses academic terms like “forecasting cells” to describe the open-ended, hybrid chords in his compositions, he balances the high-concept work with straightforward language. After he says police officers pulled him over and threatened him late one night, Scott responded by crafting an alternately noisy and melancholy tune called “K.K.P.D. (Ku Klux Police Department).” Musically, Scott may sound most appealing when his work is more traditional and direct. On “Liberation over Gangsterism,” from his latest effort, his band begins with busy drums and piano rhythms, but it’s Scott’s gorgeous, ethereal tone that’s most powerful. Christian Scott performs at 8 p.m. at AMP by Strathmore, 11810 Grand Park Ave., North Bethesda. $30–$40. (301) 581-5100. ampbystrathmore.com.