Chief Adjuah (Christian Scott)

Instrument: 
Instruments: 
bow, vocals, trumpet
Genre: 
jazz, west-african, mardi gras
Origin: 
US
Territories: 
EU
Availability: 
2025: apr, may, jul

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah [formerly Christian Scott] is a two-time Edison Award-winning, six-time Grammy Award-nominated, Doris Duke Award in the Arts Award-winner. He is a sonic architect, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments (including The Stretch Music app, Adjuah Trumpet, Siren, Sirenette, Chief Adjuah’s Bow and Chief Adjuah’s N’Goni). He is the founder and CEO of the Stretch Music App and Recording Company. Chieftain and OBA of the Xodokan Nation, Chief Adjuah is the grandson of Louisiana luminary and legend, the late Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr., and Grand Griot of New Orleans and Guardians Institute founder, Herreast Harrison. He is also the nephew of Jazz innovator and NEA Jazz Master saxophonist-composer, Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. Adjuah (and his twin brother Kiel Adrian Scott) joined his grandfather’s Guardians of the Flame banner in 1989 at the age 5.

Since 2001, Adjuah has released thirteen critically acclaimed studio recordings, four live albums, and one greatest hits collection. He is widely recognized as the progenitor of the “Stretch Music,” style. A 21st-century approach that asserts genre blindness and an ethnomusicological approach to limitless fusion that heralded NPR to hail him as “Ushering in a new era of Jazz" and JazzTimes Magazine to mark him as "Jazz's young style God." and “the architect of a commercially viable fusion”. He has collaborated with a number of notable artists, including Prince, Thom Yorke, Flea, Common, Thundercat, Marcus Miller, Ron Carter, Eddie Palmieri, McCoy Tyner, Allen Toussaint, Stefon Harris, David Sanchez, Poncho Sanchez, Robert Glasper, rappers Mos Def (Yasin Bey), Talib Kweli, A$AP Ferg, Wiki, Your Old Droog, Boogie, as well as heralded poet and musician Saul Williams. Adjuah scores music for his identical twin brother, writer/director, and visual artist Kiel Adrian Scott’s filmic works. Scott is a Directors Guild of America Award recipient whose works have been honored with The Peabody Award and an NAACP Image Award.  

Recent accolades, films and projects for Adjuah include, PBS’ American Masters, short film "The New Chief,” JAZZFM's Innovator/Innovation of the Year Award, Jazz Journalist Association Trumpeter of the Year Award, The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, The Paul Ackett Award, Echo: Deutscher Musikpreis, a host of Downbeat Magazine’s Critics and Readers Poll's wins for Best Composer, Best Trumpet, and Best Electric Jazz-Rock Contemporary Group. Multiple Grammy Nominations for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, Best Contemporary Jazz Album, and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. In 2017 Adjuah starred in GAP’s Skate Meet Horn campaign.  The following year, 2018, saw him leading 1800 Tequila & Billboard Present: The Refined Players. Adjuah made a cameo appearance in Bill and Ted Face the Music, starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, where he plays a member of The Future Council and contributed the music for Louis Armstrong's character. The Chief is also featured in film and sound in the romantic drama, The Photograph, starring Issa Rae. He was inducted into the inaugural constituency of the Black Genius Brain Trust, received the Changing Worlds Peacemaker Award, The Doris Duke Award in the Arts as well as becoming the face of the First-ever BMW XM, starring in BMW’s #fortheXminded campaign of commercials commemorating the release of the new vehicle for 2023.

Dedicated to a number of causes that positively impact communities, Adjuah gives his time and talents in service to several organizations which garnered him a place in Ebony Magazine’s 30 Young Leaders Under 30 nearly a decade ago. He has supported, through his time and talent, Each One Save One, NO/AIDS Task Force, Girls First, The Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame, Good Work Network, Black Lives Matter, Changing Worlds, Acres of Ancestry Initiative and numerous other community service organizations. Holding master classes, creating and participating in discussion panels, creating content, and purchasing instruments for youth music programs and individual youth musicians are all part of Adjuah’s community-based work. He has worked with Guardians Institute, in New Orleans’ 9th Ward, which is dedicated to reading and fiscal literacy, cultural retention, and a firm commitment to the participation of community elders and artists in uplifting and supporting youths in underserved areas of New Orleans. Adjuah also currently sits on the Board of The NOCCA Institute. Since Adjuah’s emergence, he has been a passionate and vocal proponent of human rights and an unflinching critic of injustices throughout the world.

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Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning - 2023
Axiom - 2020
Ancestral Recall - 2019
The Emancipation Procrastination - 2017
Ruler Rebel - 2017
Diaspora - 2017
Stretch Music - 2015
Christian aTunde Adjuah - 2012
Ninety Miles Live at Cubadisco - 2012
Ninety Miles Project - 2011
Yesterday You Said Tomorrow - 2010
Live at Newport - 2008
Anthem - 2007
Rewind That - 2006
Christian Scott - 2003
Two of a Kind with Donald Harrison - 2008

"With its layers of roiling African-suffused percussion crossbreeding with Western instrumentation, gripping spoken-word interludes, and Adjuah’s own trumpet and electronics, Ancestral Recall teems with audacity and authority." -JazzTimes Magazine

"The new album unifies the winning elements of Mr. Scott’s past work: the historical syncretism, the tensile band energy, the powerful physicality." -The New York Times

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah: Chief Adjuah’s Bow, Vocals, Adjuah Trumpet, Siren, Sirenette
Flute or Sax
Guitar
Keyboards
Bass
Drums
Percussion 1
Percussion 2
Percussion 3

13
Oct
2024
La Rochelle Jazz Festival
La Rochelle
France
14
Oct
2024
Pannonica
Nantes
France
16
Oct
2024
Rocher de Palmer
Cenon
France
17
Oct
2024
Nancy Jazz Pulsations
Nancy
France
19
Oct
2024
Tourcoing Jazz Festival
Tourcoing
France
21
Oct
2024
Bimhuis
Amsterdam
Netherlands
22
Oct
2024
LantarenVenster
Rotterdam
Netherlands
23
Oct
2024
TivoliVredenburg
Utrecht
Netherlands
25
Oct
2024
Jazz Jamboree Jazz Festival
Warsaw
Poland
26
Oct
2024
Esslingen Jazzfestival
Esslingen
Germany
27
Oct
2024
Unterfahrt
Munich
Germany
28
Oct
2024
ZigZag
Berlin
Germany
30
Oct
2024
Baerum Kulturhus
Sandvika
Norway
02
Nov
2024
Salle Paderewski
Lausanne
Switzerland
03
Nov
2024
Zentralwäscherei
Zürich
Switzerland
06
Nov
2024
Teatro Cervantes
Malaga
Spain
07
Nov
2024
Sala Villanos
Madrid
Spain
08
Nov
2024
Barcelona Jazz Festival
Barcelona
Spain
09
Nov
2024
Cartagena Jazz Festival
Cartagena
Spain