Aaron Scott (born 1956) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and jazz drummer from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. He has studied at several prestigious music schools. He was one of the founding member of the

Orchestre National de Jazz Orchestre National de Jazz is a French orchestra that was created by French Ministry of Culture in 1986. It has had 12 musical and artistic directors, more than 200 soloists and recorded 33 albums. Orchestre National de Jazz won the Victoires ...

, was awarded Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des, won three

Grammy awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

, and has worked with several well known Jazz artists.

Life and career

Aaron Scott was born June 19, 1956 in Chicago, Illinois. As a child, Aaron learned to play the piano, accordion, trombone, and drums. By the time he was 9 years old, he was primarily focused on the drums. Aaron attended

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

in 1982, studying music education and performance. He also studied conducting from 1983 to 1985 at the

Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded o ...

. He was the principal timpanist and assistant conductor of the Brookline Symphony Orchestra. After graduating from the Berklee College of Music in 1985, he moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. While in Paris, Aaron studied conducting at the

École Normale de Musique de Paris The École Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot" (ENMP) is a leading conservatoire located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. The school was founded in 1919 by Auguste Mangeot and Alfred Cortot. The term ''école normale'' (English: no ...

. In 1986 he became one of the founding members of the

, directed by

François Jeanneau François Jeanneau (born June 15, 1935, Paris) is a French jazz saxophonist, flautist, and composer. Jeanneau studied flute under René Leroy at the Paris Conservatory, but was an autodidact on saxophone.Michel Laplace, "Francois Jeanneau". '' The ...

, when it was created by Jack Lang, the

Minister of Culture A culture minister or a heritage minister is a common cabinet position in governments. The culture minister is typically responsible for cultural policy, which often includes arts policy (direct and indirect support to artists and arts organiza ...

. During his time with the Orchestre National de Jazz, Aaron was the drummer and assistant conductor. He worked with

Marc Ducret Marc Ducret (born 19 August 1957) is a contemporary avant-garde jazz guitarist who frequently collaborates with saxophonist Tim Berne. Ducret's guitar style is idiosyncratic, having been called "highly original and very expressive," but also ...

, Michel Benita,

Yves Robert Yves Robert (; 19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002) was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Life and career Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting w ...

Bruno Chevillon Bruno Chevillon (born 23 August 1959) is a French jazz double bassist who is well known in avant-garde jazz as well as in new improvised music. Life Born in Valréas Vaucluse (département), Vaucluse, Chevillon followed a double training sinc ...

, Eric Watson, Jean-Paul Céléa, and other jazz groups. Aaron was also awarded Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des. In 1989 Aaron began a 14-year association and tenure with master jazz pianist

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

as the drummer for the McCoy Tyner Trio, and the McCoy Tyner Big Band, winning three

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s and performing worldwide. The first two Grammy's were for the McCoy Tyner Big Band albums The Turning Point (1991) and Journey (1993), and the third was for The McCoy Tyner Trio’s album ''

Infinity Infinity is something which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is denoted by \infty, called the infinity symbol. From the time of the Ancient Greek mathematics, ancient Greeks, the Infinity (philosophy), philosophic ...

'' (1995). He has also appeared with well-known musicians like

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as a performer and composer, received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in ...

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist, widely considered the "godfather of fusion". Alongside Gábor Szabó, he was a pioneer in melding jazz, country and rock ...

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian Americans, Canadian–American jazz pianist, Music arranger, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators i ...

, Frank Foster,

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

Bobby Hutcherson Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note Records, Blue Note album ''Components (album), Components'', is one of his best-known composi ...

Steve Lacy Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015. His self-produced debut EP, '' ...

, Claudio Roditi,

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. His music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention as part of the band of Miles Davis; he ...

, and

Steve Swallow Steve Swallow (born October 4, 1940) is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar. ...

. Aaron is currently living in New York. He is the Founder and Curator of the Inwood Jazz Festival. and teaches at the New York Jazz Academy.

Discography

As sideman

With

* '' Live at Sweet Basil'' (

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports the proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the proposition is truth, true. The exact definition and role of evidence vary across different fields. In epistemology, evidence is what J ...

, 1989) * Solar: McCoy Tyner Trio Live at Sweet Basil (Alfa, 1991) * '' 44th Street Suite'' (

Red Baron Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a sec ...

, 1991) * ''

Blue Bossa "Blue Bossa" is an instrumental jazz composition by Kenny Dorham. It was introduced on Joe Henderson's 1963 album '' Page One''. A blend of hard bop and bossa nova, the tune was possibly influenced by Dorham's visit to the Rio de Janeiro Jazz Fes ...

'' (Lester Recording, 1991) * ''

Remembering John ''Remembering John'' is a 1991 album by McCoy Tyner released on the Enja label. It was recorded in February 1991 and features performances by Tyner with bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Aaron Scott paying tribute to John Coltrane. The AllMusic ...

'' (

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Jap ...

, 1991) * McCoy Tyner Big Band, The Turning Point (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...

, 1991) * McCoy Tyner and Sir Roland, Double Exposure (1991) * McCoy Tyner Big Band, Journey (Verve, 1993) * ''McCoy Tyner Trio,

'' (

Impulse! Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positive critiques ...

, 1995) * ''

Autumn Mood ''Autumn Mood'' is an album by McCoy Tyner that was released by Laserlight in 1997. It was recorded in February 1991 and features performances by Tyner with Avery Sharpe, Aaron Scott, Raphael Cruz, and Claudio Roditi recorded for LRC. The alb ...

'' (Laserlight, 1997) * Key of Soul (Alfa, 1992) With others * Orchestre Nationale de Jazz, Orchestre Nationale de Jazz '86 (

Label Bleu Label Bleu is a French jazz record label founded by Michel Orier. Orier established the label in the mid-1980s in Amiens and soon after took over directorship of Amiens's cultural center, where he was able to build a recording studio. Label Bleu ...

, 1986) * Orchestre Nationael de Jazz, Jazz Bühne Berlin '86 (

AMIGA Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...

, 1986) * Bob Stewart, ''Then & Now'' (

Postcards A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin Card stock, cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a ...

, 1996) *

, La Theorie Du Pilier (Label Bleu, 1987) * Eric Watson:, Your Tonight is my Tomorrow (Owl Records, 1987) * Francois Jeanneau, Taxiway (Label Bleu, 1988 *

, Des Satelites Avec Des Traces De Plumes (Evidence, 1988) * Jeff Silvertrust Quintet Feat.

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

, Hip Knossis (Bulldozers from Jupiter, 2001) * ''Michael Hackett, Circles'', (

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for ...

, 2005) *

Billy Harper Billy Harper (born January 17, 1943) is an American jazz saxophonist, "one of a generation of Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument.Chris KelseyBilly Harper Biography ''AllMusi ...

, '' Blueprints of Jazz Vol. 2'' (Talking House Records, 2008) *

Barney Wilen Bernard "Barney" Jean Wilen (4 March 1937 – 25 May 1996) was a French jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist and composer. Biography Wilen was born in Nice, France; his father was an American dentist turned inventor, and his mother was French. His ...

Quartet Feat.

Tete Montoliu Vicenç Montoliu i Massana, better known as Tete Montoliu (28 March 1933 – 24 August 1997) was a Spanish jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. Born blind, he learnt braille music at age seven. His styles varied from hard bop, through Afro-Cuban, ...

– Barney And Tete (Grenoble '88) ( Elemental Music, 2020)

References

External links

Official site archived
2009-10-24
Aaron Scott , New York Jazz Academy
1 February 2024 {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Aaron musician 1956 births 20th-century American drummers American male drummers African-American drummers American jazz drummers Berklee College of Music alumni Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres École Normale de Musique de Paris alumni Living people Jazz musicians from Chicago Post-bop jazz musicians 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Orchestre National de Jazz members 21st-century American drummers 21st-century American male musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians Drummers from Chicago