Saturday, May 8, 2010
Jon Scott is not your typical singer-
songwriter. You won’t find this Nigerian-
born and London-based Afro-soul optimist
wearing busker chic, doing the usual circuit
of open mics and toilet venues, or hanging
about hopefully in Hoxton. Because Jon
Scott took his parents very seriously when
they packed him off to London as a wide-
eyed teen to study for a proper career.
So seriously that, when he isn’t writing,
recording and performing his inspiring
songs of love, peace and unity, running his
own Brown Babes label, and being a proud
father, he has a very proper job.
Jon Scott is probably the only music-
obsessed singer-songwriter who owns his
own law firm in the city of London.
‘Music has always been the first thing,’ Jon
explains. ‘The lawyer part… I just fell into it,
basically. You’re supposed to have a career
and my parents invested a lot of time and
effort into that. So, I compromised. But I
never stopped gigging.’
So, after 20 years of living for music, the
legal eagle decided to take his art as
seriously as he could, and self-released his
2008 solo debut album, Some R Beautiful
and the Balearic beats-influenced Summer
08 EP. And, having found a growing
audience for his brand of mellow, feel good
pop-soul, he got straight on with making
album number two.
Boasting co-production from Gordon
Hulbert, who has worked with Annie
Lennox, Chaka Khan and Angie Stone, Flow
Like A River does exactly that, inviting the
listener to recline in floating vessel of
choice, bask in an eternally balmy sonic sun
and let Scott steer them towards kinder,
gentler waters.
Or, as the man himself puts it: ‘The world is
full of conflicts. In my day job, I see, first-
hand, how confrontational people are when
they don’t need to be. It is hard enough
getting by without raging at the world to
get what you want. Peace and unity is what
Jon Scott’s all about and I make no apology
for believing that that’s the most important
thing to sing about.’
Scott’s musical journey began as a child in
Lagos, taking in the kaleidoscopic clash of
sounds that engulfed him as he walked
through the Nigerian city streets. ‘Its not
records in stores and supermarkets like it is
here. If you’re walking down a Lagos street,
the shops are cheek to jowl. One minute
you’re hearing hi-life, the next minute Frank
Sinatra, The Beatles, Abba… you’re hearing
everything at once, including the local Afro-
Beat. I was greatly influenced by Fela Kuti as
a kid. I just loved the way he laid down a
groove. The Afro-Beat thing was very
special and unique… a man creating a whole
genre for himself. But I also liked Abba’s
melodies. Then there’s Marvin Gaye,
Motown, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and
Michael Jackson… all the obvious suspects.’
Scott references both Gaye and Jackson on
the album track and single, Give Me A Call.
‘The line is: “I’ve got Marvin on my iPod so
let’s get it on / I hear Michael on the radio
and I wanna rock with you.” A couple of
months before Michael Jackson died, my 16-
year-old son discovered Michael. I played
him The Earth Song and he thought it was
just amazing. He was desperate to get
tickets for the shows at the O2 and I was
staying up half the night trying to buy
them. So, when the news came, it was
shocking.
My son and I were listening to Billie Jean a
few days later and I felt the same way I did
when it first came out. Even if he didn’t sing
a note in that song – the groove was there.
That groove is what I’m talking about and
what I set out to achieve.’
Flow Like A River is dedicated to Scott’s
earliest musical influence, the late Reverend
Father James O’Connell. ‘I was in boarding
school in Lagos, Nigeria.
And he was the missionary priest there.
Instead of having the usual boring services
or Mass or whatever, he went out of his
way to be interesting. He formed a choir
with us.
There was a school band there at the time
called Ofege who went on to be a very
successful Afro-Rock band in Nigeria.
They were superstars when I was younger,
and Father James had them playing in
chapel with us. So, Mass would become like
an evangelical concert. He then took that
one step further and had us put on musicals
like Jesus Christ
Superstar, Godspell and the African musical
Ipi Tombi. So, every year was exciting… the
musicals became an event across Lagos and
the rest of the country. People would pour
in in droves to see us perform. That’s where
my love of music and performing began. It
opened up a whole different world for me.
So, it seems fitting to dedicate Flow Like A
River to James O’Connell’s memory.’ Scott
was barely out of short trousers when he
moved to London to study. And although he
successfully granted his parents’ wishes,
got his law degree and started on the path
to his own London law firm, music
remained his first love. He spent a short
time at UCLA at the age of 19 until his
concerned father decided that his son might
be having too much fun playing in bands in
Californian nightclubs, and insisted Jon
return to London to finish his studies. It was
only a matter of time before Scott chose to
dedicate as much time to his music as he
does to overseeing his company. ‘Writing
songs is relatively easy. But crafting them
until they reach the standard that I want is
so exciting. It’s wonderful. The creative
process is something I can’t live without.’
Running a law firm, raising a family and
steering a musical career – that’s one Hell of
a workload. ‘It is. But I run my law firm in
the day, record in the evening, and my
family are really supportive. I’m a lucky
man.’
When asked which of Flow Like A River’s 10
expertly crafted vignettes he feels best
represents the album, Scott surprisingly
opts for a rare foray into rock noise, the
rousing S2G (Stand Together). ‘The song is
just a call for peace and unity. I know it
sounds trite, but there’s too much hassle in
the world, and all people need to do is step
back a little and take stock. S2G is the song
that best represents where I’m coming from
and what I think is relevant to anyone,
whoever they might be.’
With Flow Like A River fine-tuned into his
most impressive musical statement to date,
Scott’s next move is a full tour in 2010. But,
in the meantime, sink into Jon’s sweet,
timeless muse and find yourself refreshed
and charmed by a record that is truly a
labour of love. Most do this music thing to
get a career in showbiz. Jon Scott doesn’t
have to. He does this because he has no
choice. ‘This music is me. I love writing
songs. I love singing. I love being Jon Scott.
Music’s been there for me since the year dot
and it will always be there. Listen to the
songs and you’ll understand exactly why I
have to make music, no matter what else is
going on in my life.’
NIGERIAWORLD | NIGERIAWEB | MESSAGEBOARD | ANNOUNCE STORY | NAIJANET | STATE NEWS | SEARCH
Good Evening! Monday May 10, 2010
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