Gil Scott-Heron & Amnesia Express: New Morning—The Paris Concert

Doing college radio back in the 1970s, a lot of us thought Gil Scott-Heron—who busted his way onto play lists with his anti-apartheid screed "Johannesburg"—was too cool. Apparently, he still was for this engaging 11-song 2001 Paris concert, which provides a real flavor for what Scott-Heron does best: be cool, but not aloof; angry, but not inaccessible; world-weary, but not jaded. Most of his playing on an old Fender Rhodes consists of noodling back and forth between harmonic chords, while his crack four-piece band fills in the spaces, but his singing remains both rich and expressive. For this Dolby Digital 5.1-presented concert, Scott-Heron performs some of his best-known tunes—you still can hear the rage in "Johannesburg" and the tenderness in "Your Daddy Loves You"—in a show that builds expertly from the first couple of mellow tracks to the spirited closer "The Bottle," with scorching solos from all the band members as Scott-Heron watches, laughing and applauding along with the throng of young Parisians grooving on every note. Recommended. Aud: P. (M. Moore)