Tom Scott (saxophonist)
Thomas Wright Scott (born May 19, 1948)[1] is an American saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He was a member of The Blues Brothers and led the jazz fusion group L.A. Express.
Tom Scott | |
|---|---|
Scott at a Beatles convention in 2013 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thomas Wright Scott |
| Born | May 19, 1948 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instrument(s) | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | tomscottmusic |
Early life, family and education
Scott was born in Los Angeles, California, US.[1] He is the son of film and television composer Nathan Scott, who had more than 850 television credits and more than 100 film credits as a composer, orchestrator, and conductor, including the theme songs for Dragnet and Lassie.[2]
Career
Tom Scott's career began as a teenager as leader of the jazz ensemble Neoteric Trio and the band Men of Note.[1][3] After that, he worked as a session musician. In 1970, Quincy Jones said of him: "Tom Scott, the saxophonist; he's 21, and out of sight! Plays any idiom you can name, and blows like crazy on half a dozen horns."[4]
Scott wrote the theme songs for the television shows Starsky and Hutch and The Streets of San Francisco.[5] In 1974, with the L.A. Express he composed the score for the animated movie, The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat.[6] He played the soprano saxophone solo on the number-one hit single "Listen to What the Man Said" by the band Wings. In 1976, he played the theme "I Still Can't Sleep" in Taxi Driver.[7] Scott also composed the soundtrack for 1980's Stir Crazy.[8] In 1982, he collaborated with Johnny Mathis on "Without Us", the theme to the 1980s sitcom Family Ties.[7] He also played the lyricon, an electronic wind instrument on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", as well as lyricon and saxophone on The Grateful Dead's album Terrapin Station.
Scott was a founding member of the Blues Brothers Band, despite his absence in the two films, The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000. According to Bob Woodward's account in Wired, a biography of John Belushi, Scott left the band after their 1980 tour over a salary dispute. However, he reunited with Dan Aykroyd and the Blues Brothers Band in 1988 to record a few tracks for The Great Outdoors.[9]
Scott led the house band on two short-lived late-night talk shows: The Pat Sajak Show in 1989 and The Chevy Chase Show in 1993. From 1995 to 1998, Scott provided the main title arrangement and additional music for the television series Cybill.[10] He was music director for the 68th Academy Awards in 1996, several Emmy Awards telecasts from 1996 to 2007, Ebony's 50th Birthday Celebration, and the People's Choice Awards telecasts.
He has dozens of solo recordings for which he collected 13 Grammy nominations (three of which he won). He has numerous film and television scoring credits, including composing and conducting the score for the movie Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, and appeared on records by the Beach Boys, Blondie ("Rapture"), Grateful Dead, George Harrison, Whitney Houston ("Saving All My Love for You"), Quincy Jones, Carole King, Richard Marx ("Children of the Night"), Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Eddie Money, Olivia Newton-John, Pink Floyd, Helen Reddy, Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan ("Black Cow"), Steppenwolf, and Rod Stewart ("Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?").
He produced two albums for tenor vocalist Daniel Rodriguez. The Spirit of America has sold over 400,000 copies. Scott is also a member of the Les Deux Love Orchestra and has conducted over 30 symphony orchestras around the U.S. as music director for Rodriguez. His song "Today" is credited as the sample for the hip-hop classic "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" by Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
Discography
As leader
- The Honeysuckle Breeze (Impulse!, 1967)
- Rural Still Life (Impulse!, 1969)
- Hair to Jazz (Flying Dutchman, 1970)
- Paint Your Wagon (1971)
- Great Scott (A&M, 1972)
- New York Connection (Ode, 1975)
- Uptown Saturday Night (movie soundtrack, 1975)
- Blow It Out (Ode, 1977)
- Intimate Strangers (Columbia, 1978)
- Street Beat (Columbia, 1979)
- Crazy (soundtrack for Stir Crazy, 1980)
- Apple Juice (live) (Columbia, 1981)
- Desire (Elektra, 1982)
- Target (Atlantic, 1983)
- One Night – One Day (Ranwood, 1986)
- Streamlines (GRP, 1987)
- Flashpoint (GRP, 1988)
- Them Changes with The Pat Sajak Show house band (GRP, 1990)
- Keep This Love Alive (GRP, 1991)
- Born Again (GRP, 1992)
- Reed My Lips (GRP, 1994)
- Night Creatures (GRP, 1995)
- Toy Story 2 (soundtrack) (1999)
- New Found Freedom (Higher Octave, 2002)
- Bebop United (live) (MCG Jazz, 2006)
- Telling Stories with Paulette McWilliams (Reviver, 2012)
With The L.A. Express
- Tom Scott and The L.A. Express (Ode, 1974)
- Tom Cat (Ode, 1975)
- Bluestreak (GRP, 1996)
- Smokin' Section (Windham Hill, 1999)
With The Blues Brothers
- Briefcase Full of Blues (Atlantic 1978)
- Made in America (Atlantic, 1980)
- Best of The Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1981)
- Dancin' wid da Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1983)
- Everybody Needs the Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1988)
- The Very Best of The Blues Brothers (Atlantic, 1995)
With the GRP All-Star Big Band
- GRP All-Star Big Band (1992)
- Dave Grusin Presents GRP All-Star Big Band Live! (1993)
- All Blues (1995)
As sideman
With Don Ellis
- Don Ellis Orchestra 'Live' at Monterey! (Pacific Jazz, 1966)
- Live in 3⅔/4 Time (Pacific Jazz, 1967)
- Pieces of Eight: Live at UCLA (1967, released 2006)
With Joan Baez
- Gracias a la Vida (A&M Records, 1974)
- Diamonds & Rust (A&M Records, 1975)
- Blowin' Away (Portrait Records, 1977)
- Welcome Home (World Pacific, 1968)
- Six Million Dollar Man (RCA/Flying Dutchman, 1975)
With Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies
- The American Metaphysical Circus (Sony, 1969)
With Tim Buckley
- Sefronia (Discreet Records, 1973)
With Victor Feldman
- Seven Steps to Heaven (Choice, 1973)
With Paul Williams
- Just an Old Fashioned Love Song (AM, 1971)
- Life Goes On (AM, 1972)
- Here Comes Inspiration (AM, 1974)
- A Little Bit of Love (AM, 1974)
With The Carpenters
- Now and Then (AM, 1973)
- Passage (AM, 1977)
With Robbie Williams
- Swings Both Ways (Universal, 2013)
With Jimmy Webb
- Words and Music (Reprise, 1970)
- And So: On (Reprise, 1971)
With Tom Waits
- The Heart of Saturday Night (Asylum, 1974)
With Carole King
- Fantasy (Ode Records, 1973)
- Wrap Around Joy (Ode Records, 1974)
- Thoroughbred (A&M Records, 1976)
- Simple Things (Capitol Records, 1977)
With Eric Carmen
- Boats Against the Current (Arista, 1977)
With Lulu
- Lulu (Polydor, 1973)
With Juice Newton
- Quiet Lies (Capitol Records, 1982)
- Dirty Looks (Capitol Records, 1983)
- Old Flame (RCA Records, 1985)
With Alphonse Mouzon
- The Man Incognito (1975)
With Dalbello
- Lisa Dal Bello (MCA, 1977)
With Johnny Rivers
- New Lovers and Old Friends (Epic, 1975)
- Outside Help (Soul City, 1977)
With Richie Havens
- Mirage (A&M, 1977)
With George Benson
- Songs and Stories (Concord Records, 2009)
With Stephen Bishop
- Bish (ABC Records, 1978)
With Tina Turner
- Tina Turns the Country On! (United Artists, 1974)
- Acid Queen (United Artists, 1975)
With Michael Franks
- Michael Franks (Brut, 1973)
With Michael Bublé
- To Be Loved (Reprise Records, 2013)
With Peter Allen
- Not the Boy Next Door (Arista, 1983)
With Eddie Money
- Eddie Money (Columbia Records, 1977)
- Life for the Taking (Columbia Records, 1978)
With Barry Manilow
- If I Should Love Again (Arista, 1981)
- Swing Street (Arista, 1987)
With Joe Cocker
- Hymn for My Soul (EMI, 2007)
With Neil Diamond
- Tap Root Manuscript (Uni Records, 1970)
- Beautiful Noise (Columbia, 1976)
- I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight (Columbia, 1977)
With Sara Bareilles
- Kaleidoscope Heart (Epic, 2010)
With Josh Groban
- Awake (143 Records, 2006)
With Rickie Lee Jones
- Rickie Lee Jones (Warner Bros., 1979)
- Pirates (Warner Bros., 1981)
With Frankie Valli
- Frankie Valli... Is the Word (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Kenny Rankin
- Professional Dreamer (Private Music, 1995)
With Barbra Streisand
- ButterFly (Columbia Records, 1974)
- Wet (Columbia Records, 1979)
- The Movie Album (Columbia Records, 2003)
With Billy Preston
- Music Is My Life (A&M, 1972)
With Rod Stewart
- Blondes Have More Fun (Warner Bros., 1978)
- Soulbook (J, 2009)
With Dan Fogelberg
- Phoenix (Epic, 1979)
- The Innocent Age (Epic, 1981)
- Windows and Walls (Epic, 1984)
- No Resemblance Whatsoever (Giant, 1995)
With Aretha Franklin
- You (Atlantic, 1975)
With Donovan
- Essence to Essence (Epic, 1973)
- Slow Down World (Epic, 1976)
With Art Garfunkel
- Fate for Breakfast (Columbia, 1979)
With Glen Campbell
- Rhinestone Cowboy (Capitol Records, 1975)
- Bloodline (Capitol Records, 1976)
With Oleta Adams
- Evolution (Fontana, 1993)
With Peggy Lee
- Mirrors (A&M, 1975)
With Randy Newman
- Born Again (Reprise Records, 1979)
- Bad Love (DreamWorks, 1999)
With Diane Schuur
- Love Songs (GRP, 1993)
With Oliver Nelson
- Live from Los Angeles (Impulse!, 1967)
- Soulful Brass with Steve Allen (Impulse!, 1968)
With George Harrison
- Dark Horse (Apple Records, 1974)
- Extra Texture (Read All About It) (Apple Records, 1975)
- Thirty Three & 1/3 (Dark Horse, 1976)
- Somewhere in England (Dark Horse, 1981)
With Thelma Houston
- I've Got the Music in Me (Sheffield Lab Records, 1975)
With Michael McDonald
- If That's What It Takes (Warner Bros., 1982)
- Wide Open (BMG, 2017)
With Bill Plummer
- Cosmic Brotherhood (1968)
With Phoebe Snow
- Something Real (Elektra, 1989)
With Minnie Riperton
- Adventures in Paradise (Epic, 1975)
- Minnie (Capitol, 1979)
- Love Lives Forever (Capitol, 1980)
With Jaco Pastorius
- Word of Mouth (Warner Bros., 1981)
With Al Jarreau
- Breakin' Away (Warner Bros., 1981)
With Richard Marx
- Repeat Offender (Capitol, 1989)
With Joni Mitchell
- For the Roses (Asylum, 1972)
- Court and Spark (Asylum, 1974)
- Miles of Aisles (1974)
- Hejira (Asylum, 1976)
With Howard Roberts
- The Magic Band – Live at Dontes (1968, released 1998)
- The Magic Band – Vol. 2 (1968, released 1998)
With Natalie Cole
- Everlasting (Elektra, 1987)
- Good to Be Back (EMI, 1989)
With Bernie Taupin
- He Who Rides the Tiger (Elektra, 1980)
With Deniece Williams
- Hot on the Trail (Columbia, 1986)
With Sarah Vaughan
- Brazilian Romance (CBS, 1987)
With Helen Reddy
- Music, Music (Capitol Records, 1976)
With Lalo Schifrin
- Che! (soundtrack) (Tetragrammaton, 1969)
- Rock Requiem (Verve, 1971)
With Olivia Newton-John
- Soul Kiss (Mercury Records, 1985)
With Otis Spann
- Sweet Giant of the Blues (BluesTime, 1970)
With Christopher Cross
- Another Page (Warner Bros., 1983)
- Back of My Mind (Warner Bros., 1988)
With Boz Scaggs
- Silk Degrees (Columbia Records, 1976)
- Fade into Light (MVP Japan, 1996)
With Ringo Starr
- Ringo (Apple Records, 1973)
With Dolly Parton
- Dolly, Dolly, Dolly (RCA Victor, 1981)
- Heartbreak Express (RCA Records, 1982)
- Real Love (RCA Records, 1985)
- Rainbow (CBS, 1987)
With Gábor Szabó
- Light My Fire with Bob Thiele (Impulse!, 1967)
- Macho (Salvation, 1975)
With Bob Thiele Emergency
- Head Start (Flying Dutchman, 1969)
With Steely Dan
References
- ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2210. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (March 3, 2010). "Nathan Scott, 94, scored TV shows". Variety. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ "Valley Teen-Agers Win Sweepstakes". Valley Times Today. July 2, 1963. p. 9. Retrieved July 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Feather, Leonard (January 25, 1970). "Nine Lives of a Cat Named Jones". Los Angeles Times. p. 40-Calendar. Retrieved July 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Nowlin, Rick (April 21, 1999). "All about sax". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. E-5. Retrieved July 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "THis Week's Movies". The Paris (Texas) News. December 5, 1976. p. 13C. Retrieved August 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "TV Line". Newsday. December 30, 1984. p. TV Book-1. Retrieved August 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Stir Crazy' advertisement". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. December 24, 1980. p. 5C. Retrieved August 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Woodward, Bob (1987). Wired. Simon & Schuster.
- ^ "Cybill (1995–1998) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.com. Retrieved February 20, 2021.