Scott, poet who became a singer, adds sass to act

Jill Scott’s musical creed is simple: Feel it. Write it. Sing it.

That trifecta and a growing reputation for honest emotion have led to Scott’s “The Real Thing” album. She’ll perform Tuesday in Seattle.

Scott began her stage work by reading her poetry. She was heard by a Roots drummer and invited to collaborate; “You Got Me” became a 1990 Top-40 pop hit and Scott began to turn her poetry into songs.

She earned a Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best Female Vocal Performance for “A Long Walk”; in 2004, “Beautifully Human: Words &Sounds, Vol. 2” won a Grammy.

“The Real Thing” still has her touch in metaphor and imagery but with more sass as she puts herself in each of her characters, different women all.

Her earlier “Who is Jill Scott” Words &Sounds Vol. 1” earned her NAACP Image Awards, Billboard and Soul Train trophies, and a place onstage with Aretha Franklin for VH1’s Divas Live.

James Blunt: A singer-songwriter who served in the British army, Blunt’s thoughtful, contemporary acoustic folk-rock tunes have created an increasing fan base and brought him into larger venues.

He broke a near-decade-long drought by becoming the first Brit to top the American singles chart since Elton John and “Candle in the Wind.” “You’re Beautiful” was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006 and earned the same status in several countries.

Blunt was nominated for five Grammy Awards in 2006.

Jake Shimabukuro: It’s a one-night stand for one of the world’s best ukulele players. He’s been hooked on the tiny four-string uke since age 4; now he’s known for his lightning-fast fingers and original playing techniques.

The innovative Shimabukuro goes way beyond traditional Hawaiian music, branching out to classical, flamenco, rock, bluegrass and folk. It’s a pleasure to hear him interpret songs, including Led Zeppelin, Sarah McLachlan and the Beatles.

Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus: The band performs a Bob Marley birthday (Wednesday) tribute in celebration of reggae’s roots and message during Black History Month. The Rastafarian roots master is also a lecturer who last fall launched the exhibition “Discovering Rastafari” at the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of Natural History.

He learned drumming at an early age and performed with Marley, Peter Tosh Burning Spear, Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack and many others. His music is drawn from biblical and African chants, traditional hand drums and more modern instruments.

The band will be joined by other musicians at the Bob Marley Festival.

Buck Howdy &BB: The pair bring Western swing and cowboy music to families. The king of kids’ cowboy music can convey his fun-loving attitude with a grin and a wink. He continues his reign with a nomination for a 2008 Grammy for his “Chickens” recording.

Raul Midon: He blends pragmatism about today’s music market with the idealism of a songwriter, charting his way through that commercial world with a vibrant acoustic sound. His album “A World Within a World” could refer to his territory in the pop universe or his place as a blind man in the sighted culture. Midon turned down a university scholarship in creative writing to join another university’s highly respected jazz program.

Out and about: Pop band Stepsonday (Wednesday, El Corazon) performs music from its debut album, “little light” … pop/jazz guitarist and emotional songwriter Kenny Rankin (today through Sunday, Jazz Alley) played guitar for Bob Dylan’s landmark album “Bringing It Back Home” … Pipes, drums, fiddles, dance, precision, songs, and sights of Scottish culture go along with the sounds at the Masters of the Scottish Arts (tonight, Benaroya) …

John Doe’s (Monday, Triple Door) rootsy sound features countryish vocals combined with a rocking guitar but his punk attitude is never far away … From the Jam (tonight, Moore) features two members of the Jam, the leading British pop band of the late 1970s and early ’80s — but not frontman Paul Weller … Oregon native and best-selling jazz musician Chris Botti is back (Wednesday through Feb. 10, Jazz Alley) with 10 shows and a new CD, “Italia,” full of the romance of Italy.