In Brief

**** Tom Scott, “Born Again,” GRP. The saxophonist asks the musical question: Was there life before fusion? Yes, indeed--and after, as he assures us by gathering such compatible colleagues as Randy Brecker, George Bohanon, Kenny Kirkland and John Patitucci in a set of finely crafted Scott originals. On the title cut, and on “Song No. 1,” there is the added attraction of an entire woodwind section overdubbed by Scott. Let the skeptics be reassured, Scott hasn’t lost it.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent). A rating of five stars is reserved for classic reissues or retrospectives.