Kendrick Scott.

When drummer Kendrick Scott released his 2006 debut, The Source, he was a young lion who had played with many world class musicians, but this was his first album, so it was mainly documenting his experiences up to that point. The result was recording with no shortage of top flight playing, but which also lacked a cohesive thread. However on his second release, Conviction, which came out just this week, Scott did have a clear concept in his mind.

“It’s a really personal thing for me. I have a lot of conviction when I play, and I try to do that in my life as well,” Scott told DCist during a recent interview. “With this record I wanted to create a dialogue about conviction.”

Scott will celebrate Conviction‘s release with sets tonight and tomorrow at the historic Bohemian Caverns. This continues a series of D.C. milestones for the 32-year old Houston native, who is an alumnus of the Kennedy Center’s Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program. It was at that camp that Scott came to the attention of trumpet great Terence Blanchard, which has turned into to a decade-long partnership between the two.

“I saw all the Facebook posts and tweets from last week and I got a really warm feeling,” Scott said Jazz Ahead’s latest iteration, which concluded just last week. “Jazz Ahead was a real turning point.”

In addition to Blanchard, Scott has spent time playing with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Kenny Garrett and Pat Metheny to name a few. But when it came to starting his own band, he looked to drumming icon Art Blakey as a model. For decades, Blakey’s Jazz Messengers was a training ground, producing dozens of musicians who would go on to become successful leaders in their own right. While it did take some time for Scott to settle on a concept for his group, the transition to the role of bandleader came easily.

“In all the great bands in history, the drummer is always the bandleader, but we lead from behind the group,” Scott explained. “We bring the dynamics and color that can really shape and mold the band.”

But that doesn’t mean Scott is ready to abandon the role of sideman, especially when it comes to playing with the veterans who have called on his talents in the past.

“There are so few jazz idols left, playing with them would be more important than being a bandleader,” Scott said. “My idol is Roy Haynes, who is 88 years old and is playing more drums than I’ll ever play. I would learn more being his roadie than being a bandleader.”

That said, Conviction serves as proof that Scott has a bright future as a headliner. Like a film director whose success largely depends on casting, Scott’s choice of musicians shows his focus on presenting a group that can speak with a single voice. The same musicians that played on the album will be at the Caverns this weekend, including guitarist Mike Moreno, pianist Taylor Eigsti, saxophonist John Ellis and bassist Joe Sanders. They all have been playing together for four years, so their sound is very malleable and highly interactive. This true band dynamic allows the quintet to achieve Scott’s ultimate goal, which is to communicate his concept of conviction with the listener.

“I always want people to walk away singing a melody. If they can sing that melody, maybe they an connect with the title of the melody,” he said. “If they can meditate on that, that’s all I would want. Music to me is sonic meditation.”

Kendrick Scott Oracle will play 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. sets tonight and tomorrow at Bohemian Caverns. $22 in advance/$28 at the door.