Crates: Remix Fundamentals Volume 1 (Spring Summer Feeling)

Album review

The three-volume Crates: Remix Fundamentals series made the score seven to three. That is, the Hidden Beach label released seven Jill Scott titles that were either compilations or live recordings, while only three studio albums of original material -- the Words and Sounds trilogy -- were issued. Scott fans could be forgiven for being skeptical about yet another round of Hidden Beach releases to follow the singer's departure to Warner Bros. Unsurprisingly, this first volume in the Crates series is a mixed bag. Ron Trent's atmospheric house mix of "Spring Summer Feeling" and Jazzy Jeff's casually funky version of "A Long Walk" (originally released in 2001) are the standouts, and they both do right by Scott's vocals. The sleek dance-pop "B-Sharp Clubin Mix" of "Come See Me," the work of Jacques Richmond and Bruce Walker, is surprisingly effective despite its radical departure from Scott's sound. Otherwise, listeners will need to go into this with an open mind, knowing that the majority of these mixes could not possibly substitute for the originals.

© Andy Kellman /TiVo