Live at Newport is far more than a performer marking time with a live release. The performances here make it clear that Scott is continuing to evolve and that music he composed even a short time ago is still providing interesting variations to him.

It’s not necessary to see Christian Scott play to understand the intense commitment he brings to his music.That’s evident from his clear and powerful trumpet tone. But when you do get to see Scott, as on the DVD accompanying his CD release Christian Scott Live at Newport, your realize that he himself also creates a powerful electricity around his music that is not unlike the power of personality behind players like Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard.

Scott begins with two very intense yet somewhat impressionistic and melancholy numbers that are suffused with the shadow of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on his hometown of New Orleans. “Died In Love” is a mournful tune presented over an ever-shifting rhythm section that eventually slides into the groove it has been abstractly outlining for the rest of the number. “Littany Against Fear” from Scott’s second CD Anthem, begins where the previous tune leaves off, creating something of a suite of gorgeous elegeiac music. Tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III joins the group here as well as on three other numbers, and his solo does get some sparks flying. Towards the end as the piece resolves into a major chord for the first time, drummer Jamire Williams solos wonderfully, buyoued by the gentle energy of pianist Aaron Parks and bassist Joe Sanders.

Scott’s third number is the beautiful ballad “Isadora,” and one can only marvel that Scott has thus far performed downtempo numbers. Admittedly, the first two pieces work up some sparks, but there’s no sense of gimmickry, just Scott’s wonderfully understated artistry. “Rumour starts out with a long drum solo, then a duet between Scott and Williams’ drums before the rhythm section hones in on a groove behind guitarist Matt Stevens’ riff. Smith’s tenor solo is, again, right on the money, slipping in and around the underlying chords like a deft serpent. The tune also provides Aaron Parks with his first real solo space, and he demonstrates why he is the perfect pianist for Scott’s music. Matt Stevens, whose guitar sometimes takes on a the sonorities of rock music, stretches out on a really jazzy solo here. For all the talk about Scott’s underlying rhythms being more hip hop than jazz, this group really manages to swing with the grooves they establish.

With the group and the crowd sufficiently heated up, Scott gets into some harder grooving territory. “Anthem,” the title track from his second CD, is pretty much pitched in what you might call the definitivie Christian Scott sound. “James Crow Jr,. Esq.” Is a bit more of a rocker, pulsing with high energy from the start. Even when the groove is percolating wildly, Scott is not afraid to keep his trumpet work cool, and the juxtaposition works very well most of the time. The performance ends with the title track from Scott’s first album, “Rewind That,” which was nominated for a Grammy award. Scott introduces it as ‘my new band’s version of the tune’ and it’s true there are differences in the way the groups approach the number. Scott’s loosened things up a lot, and the band refuses to be locked into a groove quite as tightly as his former band.

Live at Newport is far more than a performer marking time with a live release. The performances here make it clear that Scott is continuing to evolve and that music he composed even a short time ago is still providing interesting variations to him. That’s the mark of a great musician, and it also primes the palate for the next studio release from this band.

The CD and DVD sets are nearly identical on this CD + DVD set (the CD includes an extra track, “The Crawler”). The DVD includes “Christian Scott: The Newport Experience,” a documentary that looks at the new group’s rehearsal and preparation for the Newport performance. Scott talks about his conception, the comparisons that have been made between him and Miles Davis, and provides background on some of his compositions, which is fascinating.