Christian Scott is one of the best young trumpeters in the world. Growing up in New Orleans, Lousiana, Scott was constantly surrounded by some of the best jazz musicians in the world, and his hometown undoubtedly influenced his own signature style. But as part of his new venture, the Refined Players — supported by Billboard and 1800 Tequila — Scott has selected five other remarkable players from all over the US to create his very own jazz supergroup. The refined players include Joe Dyson on drums, Weedie Braimah on the djembe, Joe Harley on guitar, Elena Pinderhughes on flute and Derrick Hodge on bass.
“Musically, it’s instinctual for me to pull in sonic influences from all over the world,” Scott said of the project. “As a bandleader and collaborator, it’s been an incredible journey to pull together individual talents from all over the country for this project. Independently, each of us bring our own raw sound and creative energy into the mix. The refined final product will be a true testament of hard work, collaboration, and sonic diversity.”
As for Mensa, he’s long drawn from a mix of hip-hop, jazz, and even rock, and said his work with such a talented live band was inspiring.
“The marriage of jazz and hip-hop has always inspired me,” he said. “So to be able to create with such a talented group of musicians has been invigorating and exciting for me.”
Watch the trailer for the full project above, and look out for the other installments in this five-part digital series that tell the story of assembling all the players. The track itself launches on 12/8.
