Tom Scott

Blow It Out was among Tom Scott's best selling albums of the 1970s. The only thing that I can say about this album is OUTSTANDING! When Tom first put his album out,(77-78) the track "Shadows" put this album in the spot light. "Dream Lady" soon followed. Tom had done other things before "Blow it Out" but they didn't match this one album.

Tom Scott has an impressive and diverse resume that includes: playing saxophone as a guest musician, composing film and TV scores, and numerous solo releases. Chances are you've heard him play but didn't realize who it was. "Born Again" is not a fusion outing, as many of Tom's discs are, but a return to a traditional jazz style. A more laid back affair. The players are: Randy Brecker (trumpet), Pete Christlieb (sax), George Bohanon (trombone), Kenny Kirkland (piano), John Patitucci (bass), Mike Fisher (percussion), Will Kennedy (drums), and of course, Tom Scott. The opening Wayne Shorter tune, "Children of the Night", smokes, and the remaining original Scott compositions are mellow but melodic, with great arrangements and improv work. Overall, a beautiful silky smooth groove filled disc with great playing. ~ Amazon

Following two albums with a reconstituted L.A. Express, Bluestreak and Smokin' Section, Tom Scott returns to solo frontman duties on his Higher Octave Jazz debut, New Found Freedom, but he does so with a large number of guests. Those guests help broaden the styles of music available on the release, although Scott's own saxophone work remains a touchstone and everything on the disc will be easily programmable on smooth jazz radio. Indeed, the variety gives programmers many choices. Craig Chaquico, a fellow veteran of the 1970s rock scene and now a labelmate, joins Scott with some characteristic acoustic guitar work on the becalmed opener, "Feelin' It," after which adult contemporary singer Ann Nesby croons "You Are My Everything" while Billy Preston joins in on organ.

While most musicians wind up pigeonholed into very strict stylistic trappings throughout their career, Tom Scott has f ound challenges and success playing all formats of jazz on his solo projects and as leader of the GRP All Star Big Band (in the early 90s). It was fun following his muse in the middle of the decade, as he ventured back to his straightahead roots on 1992's Born Again, then was back to the funk on this rousing jam session. Working with old and new friends like Grover Washington, Jr., Paul Jackson, Jr., Dave Witham, David Paich, Luis Conte, Eric Gale and Robben Ford, Scott mixes his own material with some contributions from the outside.

With the exception of 1992's Born Again, saxophonist Tom Scott's output for GRP was consistently disappointing. Although obviously a talented player, Scott's willingness to play arrangements whose main goal was to gain radio airplay resulted in commercial and quickly dated music. Scott is heard with smaller groups throughout this 1988 effort, which include keyboardist Randy Kerber and guitarist Dean Parks, plus guest appearances by guitarists Eric Gale and Michael Landau; all this looks promising but is actually quite routine. None of the nine funky originals were infectious enough to catch on; Scott sounds fairly anonymous in spots, particularly when he utilizes a WX-7; and it is obvious that the music was made strictly for the money. At best, this is superior background music

The Honeysuckle Breeze was the debut album by saxophonist Tom Scott. The California Dreams were a vocal group who contributed their singing and harmonies. Scott brought in musicians like Mike Melvoin, Carol Kaye, Max Bennett, Lincoln Mayorga, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Gordon and others to this session. Some of the same set of musicians, including Scott, would also play on Gabor Szabo's album Wind, Sky And Diamonds, also featuring The California Dreamers and also released on Impulse, also in 1967. The Honeysuckle Breeze is celebrated in hip-hop circles for Scott's cover of Jefferson Airplane's "Today", which was sampled in the celebrated song by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", but the album shows a side of Scott that he would abandon eight years later as his music retained funkiness but started to become lightweight. The Honeysuckle Breeze also features covers of The Beatles' "She's Leaving Home", Donovan's "Mellow Yellow", and The Association's "Never My Love". Scott contributes one original song to the album, "Blues For Hari".

Who was the bandleader for both Pat Sajak and Chevy Chase? If you answered Tom Scott, you would be correct. Unlike his other albums, Tom really puts the smooth into smooth jazz on this one. Tom really turns the table and we are all to benefit. My favorite is Outzone as Tom builds the suspense and keeps us until the end. If you have Tom's other stuff (which is good), this is the one to keep your collection balanced. Because of that, this is my favorite. And unlike Pat and Chevy, Tom keeps on playing and we all benefit. ~ Amazon

Purists who've followed Scott over the years may balk at such a commercial collection, but the music is as fun as the guys who are playing it, so who can argue? Scott wrote only two of the nine songs, and interestingly enough, "Desire" and "We Belong Together" are the least exciting tunes, thought they mellow out the pace a bit. Covers of the Average White Band's '74 hit "Pick up the Pieces," Buddy Miles' song as the energetic title cut, Earth, Wind & Fire's brassy "Serpentine Fire," and Coltrane's bluesy "Dahomey Dance" are party tunes all the way, and this band featuring L.A. clubbers Barnaby Finch, Pat Kelley, and Tim Landers help the expressive Scott bring the passionate funk to life.

Target is one of those Tom Scott records that gets forgotten about a lot. Certainly it comes from the middle of the 1980s just before the GRP era, when Scott was still leading the Saturday Night Live Band on occasion and looking around for a new sound. It's the sound of a restless musician who gets the pop game, or at least has gotten it and is not sure of where to shift his focus next. The band is big and full of killer players: Harvey Mason, Ernie Watts, Ian Underwood, Victor Feldman, Paul Jackson, Neil Stubenhaus, Jim Horn, Trevor Feldman, Pete Christlieb, and Michael Boddicker, among others.