Jill Scott Collaborations
At the time of its release, internet rumor had it thatCollaborationswas a "taster" project--that is, a sampler to whet listeners' appetites for Scott's long-awaited third solo album, due in summer of 2007. ButCollaborationsdoesn't play like something you'd listen to once before throwing your napkin (or, more accurately, your earbuds) down. Not only does it genre-jump with the kind of precision you don't normally find in an artist pinned to a certain musical movement (in Scott's case, neo-soul), it throws the weight of its bold names around without straining or slacking under the pressure. The hit here is "Daydreamin'," a fuzz-encrusted slice of alternative hip-hop off Lupe Fiasco'sFood & Liquor,but there's so many other full-bodied contenders for mass adoration it could easily be eclipsed as the favorite. They include the  soul-soaked "Said Enough," with the unmistakable Isley Brothers; the noirish thumper "8 Minutes to Sunrise," with Common (who also gets "Funky for You" together with Bilal); and "Slide," maybe the sexiest jazz-and-R&B; hybrid ever to heat up a mainstream diva's disc. On that track, credit goes to Jeff Bradshaw for brilliance with his brass. But consider it: how many other singers could pull off sultriness alongside a trombone? Scott is a shape-shifting vocal wonder;Collaborationsis the latest evidence.--Tammy La Gorce