R.I.P. The Talented & Troubled Gil Scott-Heron
Poet, Singer, Author & Teller of Uncomfortable Truths
Who Passed Away Last Friday, Aged 62.
Often typecast as a rap progenitor - a label he steadfastly rejected - he more accurately suggested a mix of Richard Pryor’s darkly comical oratory, beat poetry & blues-inflected ballad-singing. The music embodied many of the values of ‘70s jazz fusion, for better or worse. There were elastic time signatures & flowing keyboard melodies, but there were also plenty of meandering flute solos.
Even amid the pastel arrangements, Scott-Heron’s rich, mahogany voice commanded attention. He made poetry of confrontation, & art out of everyday life.
