Knoel Scott (born July 18, 1956)"Knoel Scott"
Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians, via ''AllAboutJazz''. is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist, composer and bandleader. He plays baritone, tenor and alto saxophone in addition to flute, while his live performances often include singing and dancing. He is best known for his work with keyboardist/bandleader

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific out ...

and is an original member of

the Sun Ra Arkestra The Sun Ra Arkestra is an American jazz group formed in the mid-1950s and led by keyboardist/composer Sun Ra until his death in 1993. The group is considered a pioneer of afrofuturism. As of 2022, the Arkestra is led by saxophonist Marshall Alle ...

under the direction of

Marshall Allen Marshall Belford Allen (born May 25, 1924) is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and EWI (an electronic valve instrument made by Steiner, Crumar company). Allen is best ...

Background

Knoel Scott was born Noel Scott on July 18, 1956, in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, to Brooks and Kathaniel Walker Scott. His father Brooks Scott is listed as deceased on Scott's birth certificate, and he was raised by Robert and Edith Nero in

Jamaica, Queens Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is mainly composed of a large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis to the east; St. Albans, Springfi ...

. Scott studied at

Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...

from 1974 to 1976, and also at

State University of New York at Old Westbury The State University of New York College at Old Westbury (SUNY at Old Westbury) is a public college in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York. It enrolls just over 5,000 students. History The State Uni ...

, where he graduated in 1979."Knoel Scott Biography"
official website. Scott studied additionally at

Jazzmobile Jazzmobile, Inc. is based in New York City, and was founded in 1964 by Daphne Arnstein, an arts patron and founder of the Harlem Cultural Council and Dr. William "Billy" Taylor. It is a multifaceted, outreach organization committed to bringing "A ...

with such musicians as Frank Foster, Charles Davis,

John Stubblefield John Stubblefield (February 4, 1945 – July 4, 2005) was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, and oboist. Early life Stubblefield was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied music at the Association for the Advancement of Crea ...

and

Lisle Atkinson Lisle Arthur Atkinson (sometimes "Lysle") (born September 16, 1940, New York, NY; died March 25, 2019, New York, NY) was an American jazz double-bassist. Career Atkinson played violin from the age of four and switched to stand-up bass at 12 years ...

.Charles Waring
"SUN RA & ME: saxophonist Knoel Scott tells SJF about his time with the legendary bandleader"
''Soul and Jazz and Funk'', August 26, 2011.

Sun Ra Arkestra

Scott auditioned for Sun Ra in July 1979, having first heard the Arkestra at the Beacon Theatre in 1977–78. Scott said in a 2011 interview that he "immediately decided that membership in the Arkestra would be islife's dream." He subsequently began recording and touring with the Sun Ra Arkestra.

Other collaborators

Between 1981 and 1988, Scott worked with a variety of musicians including

Olu Dara Olu Dara Jones (born Charles Jones III, January 12, 1941) is an American cornetist, guitarist, and singer. He is the father of rapper Nas. Early life Olu Dara was born Charles Jones III on January 12, 1941 in Natchez, Mississippi. His mother, El ...

, Seleno Clarke, Bobby Forrester,

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

Andy Razaf Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was an American poet, composer and lyricist of such well-known songs as " Ain't Misbehavin'" and " Honeysuckle Rose". Biography Razaf was born in Washi ...

, Freddie Drew, Nat Williams,

Don Pullen Don Gabriel Pullen (December 25, 1941 – April 22, 1995) was an American jazz pianist and organist. Pullen developed a strikingly individual style throughout his career. He composed pieces ranging from blues to bebop and modern jazz. The great ...

and

John Hicks Sir John Richards Hicks (8 April 1904 – 20 May 1989) was a British economist. He is considered one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economic ...

, Larry "'88 keys" Keyes, Jimmy "Preacher" Robbins,

Charles Earland Charles Earland (May 24, 1941 – December 11, 1999) was an American jazz organist. Biography Earland was born in Philadelphia and learned to play the saxophone in high school. He played tenor with Jimmy McGriff at the age of 17 and in 1960 form ...

Victor Davis Victor Nicolas Davis, CM (February 10, 1964 – November 13, 1989) was a Canadian Olympic and world champion swimmer who specialized in the breaststroke. He also enjoyed success in the individual medley and the butterfly. Biography Victor Dav ...

Tommy Turrentine Thomas Walter Turrentine, Jr. (April 22, 1928 – May 13, 1997) was a swing and hard bop trumpeter and composer who was active between the 1940s and the 1960s. He rarely worked as a bandleader, and was known for his work as a sideman with dru ...

Jerry González Jerry González (June 5, 1949 – October 1, 2018) was an American bandleader, trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the hig ...

, Bucky Thorpe, Panama Wallace, Buddy Mack, Jann Parker,

Leon Thomas Amos Leon Thomas Jr. (October 4, 1937 – May 8, 1999), known professionally as Leon Thomas, was an American jazz and blues vocalist, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and known for his bellowing glottal-stop style of free jazz singing in the l ...

, and many others.

Return to Sun Ra and present

In 1988 Sun Ra invited Scott back to the Arkestra, to fill a reed-section chair temporarily vacant during an absence of Marshall Allen. Scott retained that chair to the present day — usually playing alto sax but occasionally tenor or his native baritone. Sun Ra also encouraged Scott to dance and sing, and in a 2012 review of the Arkestra for ''two.one.five Magazine'', Elija Bliss says: "Vocalist and saxophonist Knoel Scott's voice, honeyed with just the right amount of gravel, echoed clear across the field, melding with the big brass of the Arkestra's horn section, coaxing patrons from their lawn chairs to the grassy dance floor. After all, music that swings this hard just can't be listened to sitting down." Reviewing a 2015 appearance by the Knoel Scott Quartet (KSQ) at the

100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...

in London,

Kevin Le Gendre Kevin Le Gendre is a British journalist, broadcaster and author whose work focuses on Black music. He is deputy editor of '' Echoes'' magazine, has written for a wide range of publications, including ''Jazzwise'', ''MusicWeek'', ''Vibrations'', ' ...

wrote: "Although his main CV credit, mainstay of the Sun Ra Arkestra for the best part of four decades, may suggest that he comes from one of the most singular of locations on the landscape of African-American music, the saxophonist unveils a much wider set of references. In his tails and engaging stage presence we see a shade of Cab Calloway; in the unabashed romanticism of his singing, particularly on the second set highlight 'Don't Misunderstand' we feel the spirit of Nat 'King' Cole; and in the bulk of the material we hear extensions of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie’s bebop innovations.... Scott, and this is the most impressive thing about the performance, provides an all too rare display of how all of the aforesaid disparate historic characters are part of a bigger, coherent story." Matthew Ruddick's review of the same evening reads in part: "the audience is treated to fluid brew of bop, swing, [atin strolls and free jazz fireworks. There is a whiff of Pharaoh Sanders in Scott's alto sax [...Scott is a bit of a mover and he throws a few shapes whilst his charges show off their chops. He is also blessed with a fine bluesy baritone voice and he managed to bathe the room in film noire [sic] longing..."

References

External links

Official website
* Sammy Stein
"Interview with Knoel Scott – Part 1""Interview with Knoel Scott – Part 2""Interview with Knoel Scott – Part 3"
''Jazz in Europe'', October 14–16, 2015.

''Perfect Sound Forever'', December 2015.
"Knoel Scott Jazz Organ Trio"

Cafe Oto Cafe Oto is a venue for free jazz, experimental and free improvisation performances located in the Dalston district of London, United Kingdom. Founded in 2008 Cafe Oto (''sound'' or ''noise'' in Japanese) is located in the heart of Dalston and p ...

.
"Knoel Scott / Sun Ra Arkestra Interview – Jazz.. A Spiritual Music"
YouTube video. {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Knoel 1956 births Living people African-American jazz musicians 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people