"It's perfectly understandable why connoisseurs of fine music often refer to Scott Sawyer as a jazz guitarist.

It's because he does the jazz thing so well. He's an expert at breathing new life into that old graveyard of American Popular Song. By artfully re-investigating this body of familiar melodies and picking through the harmonic bones, Dr. Scott has resuscitated many a standard.

Jazz, however, is merely one of the many tools within his gig bag. He fingers the blues electric with the authenticity of someone who has lived them. That's not all. With country-boy affability, he strums and twangs. Chicken-picks. Shucks. Jives. Funks it up. And then breaks your heart with that one poignant love note that's soft as an angel's wing.

Like his better-known contemporaries John Scofield & Bill Frisell, Sawyer was weaned on the Beatles, the blues & 'Bird'. You can hear it in everything he plays, a new kind of guitarspeak comprised of pop, improv and sounds never before heard. It is a language Sawyer uses with authority". -- Joe Vanderford


Bio
From 1982-1996 Scott spent most of his time in the jazz & improvised music trenches. Since then, he has enjoyed a steady return to his rock & blues roots while continuing to explore the jazz tradition & beyond. Scott's band Go There reflects his interest in various genres.

Scott has toured frequently with Nnenna Freelon and remains a favorite accompanist & sideman of many NC-based musicians. His current side-projects include Guitarspeak.

Scott produces music recordings, works with individual music/guitar students and has appeared on numerous recordings (jazz, blues, pop/rock, film) including a Grammy-Nominated Performance in 1997 (Nnenna Freelon's "Shaking Free"). He's collaborated with dancers & choreographers and has interpreted visual art through his own compositions.

Scott has performed in the USA, Brasil, Canada, Europe, Asia, The Middle East & Central America.

Experienced & adept in jazz, blues, r&b, rock, and pop settings, his versatility has allowed him to share the stage with a diverse group of musicians including Charlie Byrd, David Murray, Jon Lucien & Jack Wilkins as well as many lesser-known artists. His groups have opened for Toots Thielemans, Kevin Eubanks, Buddy Rich & others. Scott appeared with the 1992 Philip Morris Superband and has performed with jazz singer Nnenna Freelon at clubs, concerts and festivals worldwide. Other musical travels include a USIA Arts America Program (Central America) with vibraphonist Jon Metzger.

Past Performances include:
  • Nnenna Freelon, 2002-2003: Berlin Philharmonic Chamber Music Hall (Berlin, Germany); Herbst Jazz Festival (Salzburg, Austria); Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey, CA); Kennedy Center (Washington, DC; including Nnenna Freelon "Live" CD, recorded 2003); Playboy Jazz Festival (Hollywood Bowl; Los Angeles, CA); St. Lucia Jazz Festival (St. Lucia, West Indies); Silda Jazz Festival (Haugesund, Norway); Ottawa Jazz Festival (Ottawa, Canada); Mistura Fina (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil); Joe Soares Show (Sao Paolo, Brazil); IAJE (Toronto, Canada)
  • PGA Tour: US Open
  • 4th Street Jazz & Blues Festival w/ Lois Deloatch (Winston-Salem, NC)
  • Ackland Art Museum (Chapel Hill, NC--concert of original works)
  • Aidswalk 1998-2002 w/ Ghezzi (Raleigh, NC)
  • Atlanta Jazz Festival w/ Bill Anschell Quartet
  • Birmingham Jam (Birmingham, AL w/ Allen Youngblood)
  • Centerfest (Durham, NC) w/ Lois Deloatch & Ghezzi
  • CNN live television appearance (NYC w/ Nnenna Freelon)
  • Corcoran Gallery (Washington, DC) w/ Jon Metzger
  • Pyewacket w/ David Murray (Chapel Hill, NC)
  • Duke Children's Classic (Durham, NC w/ singer Lois Deloatch)
  • NC Museum of Art (Raleigh, NC)
  • Durham Blues Festival (Durham, NC)
  • New Moon Jazz Festival (Carrboro, NC w/ saxophonist Jack Wilkins)
  • Piccolo Spoleto Festival (Charleston, SC)
  • Swedesboro Inn (Swedesboro, NJ w/ Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos)
  • The Triangle Guitar Society "Guitar Summit" (Carrboro, NC)
  • Tyndall Gallery (Durham, NC)
  • University of Maryland (College Park w/ Lois Deloatch)
  • w/ Charlie Byrd (Vintage Theatre; Winston-Salem, NC & Rialto Theatre; Raleigh, NC)
  • Philip Morris Superband World Tour w/ Nnenna Freelon (1992)
  • USIA Arts America w/ Jon Metzger (Central America, 1985)

    Sawyer was voted "Best Jazz Artist in the Triangle" in the Independent Weekly 1996 Readers Poll (Durham, NC).

    Scott works with a limited number of music/guitar students and has been a featured artist/clinician/speaker at various venues including UNC-Chapel Hill (NC), University of Wisconsin (Whitewater), UNC-Greensboro (NC), University of South Florida (Tampa), Community Music School (Raleigh, NC), The Institute of the Arts @ Duke University (Durham, NC), Magellan School (Raleigh, NC) and Chapel Hill High School (Chapel Hill, NC). In February 2001 he presented the first in a series of guitar workshops: "Jazz World" (Raleigh, NC).

    He has appeared on numerous recordings including pianist Bill Anschell's "a different note all together" (Accurate records). Other credits include (jazz vocalist) Nnenna Freelon's 1997 Grammy-Nominated release, "Shaking Free" (Concord Records). Scott has also arranged & recorded music for film (including "Once Around" w/ actor Danny Aiello).

    "Blue Diner", a contemporary ballet choreographed by Adam Miller (set to Scott's composition "Blue Diner" from "In The Stream") premiered 5/94 at City Center Studios in NYC. In addition, Sawyer performed it live-onstage with dancers including prima ballerina Marie-Christine Mouis (Paris Opera Ballet, Boston Ballet, Nureyev & Friends) at Ballet Group International's Inaugural Concert (Durham, NC--5/94).

    Please contact Scott for additional information regarding Performances, Studio & Session Work, Music Production, Master Classes, Commissioned Works & Private Instruction.

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