Kendrick Scott Releases “Corridors” with Bassist Reuben Rogers
Drummer and composer Kendrick Scott has released a new album called Corridors that expands his palette by reducing his band’s format. While his band Oracle is a quintet, the new record is a trio completed by saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Reuben Rogers. Together they paint aural masterpieces that contemplate global issues.
“I often write about something that I’m going through,” says Scott, “but for this record, I wanted to zoom out from my perspective and instead, try to deal with everyone’s. The pandemic forced everyone to deal with the shadows they had been running from. In my band Oracle, it’s pretty much built around the guitar and the piano. I thought what I could do in aural form is take away those two instruments.”
The smaller group size opens a lot of space in the music for each player to breathe. Rogers oscillates between locking in with Scott on syncopated bass lines and creating broader melodic gestures on the bass.
“One of my strengths is creating a harmonic space for groups,” Scott explains. “And the trio afforded me even more space so I too could be freer to interpret all the layers. Reuben navigates the world in such a genuine and loving way and his playing is a reflection of that. He’s the glue element — grounding and uplifting. And Walter has this sound that’s always been so beautiful and inspiring to me. Of my peers, Walter’s always been a guiding light.”
Check out the trio performing the opening track, “What Day Is It?”
Corridors is available now on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).
Corridors Track List:
- What Day Is It?
- Corridors
- A Voice Through The Door
- One Door Closes
- Isn’t This My Sound Around Me?
- One Door Closes, Another Opens
- Your Destiny Awaits
- Another Opens
- Threshold
