Denise Reid, Gleaner Writer

'My message to the Jamaican public is to come, come to the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, put your hands up, wine your waist; come sing with me,' Jill said.

After Grammy award- winning Jill Scott's performance in Why Did I Get Married, we were even more drawn to the gutsy, uplifting woman who can belt out a tune like there's nothing to it. Speaking with Entertainment, Jill said, "My message to the Jamaican public is to come, come to the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival, put your hands up, wine your waist; come sing with me."

With that energy and enthusiasm, there is no doubt that on January 25, when Jill, the headline act for the festival, takes the stage, the audience will be captivated.

While this will be the singer's first time at the jazz and blues festival, she is no stranger to our shores as she has visited the island on a number of occasions. In fact, her first trip outside the United States, at age 14, was to Jamaica.

She experienced many other firsts in our small island: visiting a nude beach, getting drunk and meeting her first international friend on the list.

EXPERIENCE CHART SUCCESS

In 2000, her debut album Who Is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds Vol. 1 quickly experienced chart success and acclaim with the provocative and emotion-infused single A Long Walk. The song also earned her a Grammy nomination.

Of the early success in her musical career, the humble singer told Entertainment, "Early success scared me, I wasn't thinking about fame and success. I really like to sing; that's all that was on my mind."

Subsequently, the artiste who has a deep commitment to lyrical honesty and always renders soul stirring and poignant music released two other albums which saw her success soar.

Scott, who has also done much work as an actress, appearing in the sitcom Girlfriends, the Showtime movie Cavedwellers, Hounddog and Tyler Perry's, Why Did I Get Married, has gained numerous awards, including two Grammy awards.

She has wowed us with lovely music, giving us songs such as, A Long Walk, Gettin' In The Way, The Way, the big hit Golden, and a collection of others that we have probably hummed or unknowingly bopped our heads to at one point or other.

NOMINATED FOR THREE GRAMMY AWARDS

She is nominated for three Grammy awards, two from her recent album The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 and one for her collaboration with hip-hop artiste Lupe Fiasco.

Of her music, Scott said, "I normally get hugs and thank yous and my job is to highlight life, highlight being a human being; the good the bad and the ugly, that's the juice of this particular fruit. I feel like that is my job as a writer and a vocalist; to help people feel, because sometimes I feel like we forget to honour our emotions and feelings."

When asked what she plans to bring to the table to make the experience memorable for jazz lovers she declared, "Great musicianship, interesting stories and powerful vocals."

She revealed that she plans to do a little bit of everything: some old and new songs.

The inspirational songbird told Entertainment that the philosophy which guides her life is adapted from a quote made by Bruce Willis: "Be like Water."

"Water is strong and powerful but at the same time it is formless and can adapt to anything," she explained. "I try my best to vocally adapt to any situation, so that's why there isn't a genre of music that I don't sing. I'm choosing to be formless." She declared in her confident, positive way.