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| David Thorne Scott |
I spoke with Somerville’s David Thorne Scott about his music
and his life as an artist.
Here is a bio that Scott sent me:
“David
Thorne Scott is an entertainer whose beautiful voice and creativity have
thrilled audiences in venues large and small.
His passion for bringing a modern edge to the classics of the Great American Songbook, as well as his original songs, earned his album "Shade" a "Top 5 CD of the Year" by the Jazz Education Journal. Cadence Magazine said "he phrases like a saxophone player and is as slippery and hip as the young Mel Tormé." Herb Wong, one of the west coast's leading jazz experts, wrote “I haven’t been this moved by a performance of ‘For All We Know’ since Carmen McRae.”David has sung with the Boston Pops, the Capital Jazz Orchestra, the New England Wind Symphony, and the Melrose Symphony, the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra and the Thinkin' Big Band.”
Doug Holder: What is your connection to Somerville?
David Thorne Scott: I have lived in Somerville for over 20 years in the Union
Square area. I am a newly elected member of the Union Square Neighborhood
Council.
DH: What makes this city unique?
DTS: When I volunteered with the Somerville Arts Council as a
panelist for the grant program I got to see the amazing range of musicians
doing exciting work. Jazz venues in the area are suffering because of
gentrification. We lost Johnny D’s, Ryles, Third Life Studio, and 186 Outpost
in quick succession. The EMF building and Jamspot are gone too. However, there
are still great places near me hosting certain types of music.
DH: What are you working on now?
DTS: Since COVID I've been mixing and editing my new album,
“Thornewood”. Thank god I got all the recording and overdubs finished before
the lockdown! I recorded the album partly at Q Division in Somerville.
The "Thornewood” album mixes and matches elements of jazz and Americana: Cole Porter and Harold Arlen right next to John Denver and Townes Van Zandt. Both bebop trumpet and lap steel guitar. Even a little scat singing and Jordanaires-inspired background vocals.
Special guests on the album:
Peter
Eldridge, internationally-renowned jazz singer and member of New
York Voices
The rhythm section is:
Kevin
Barry on guitars (tours with Rosanne Cash, Mary Chapin Carpenter,
and Ray Lamontagne)
Mark
Shilansky on piano (has performed with
Luciana Souza and Kim Nazarian)
Marty
Ballou on basses (tours with Peter Wolf and Duke Robillard)
Austin
McMahon on drums (performs with Jerry Bergonzi, Kate McGarry).
DH: What projects do you envision for the future?
DTS: My summer/fall composition project is an attempt to my
varied musical skills – a cappella
singing, piano, electric bass, trumpet, melodica, vocal improvisation,
whistling, beat boxing, body percussion, and digital looper – into a focused
artistic statement. I will be writing songs for
solo a cappella performance, songs
to be self-accompanied on electric bass, songs to be self-accompanied on piano and
synthesizer, and songs employing multiple instruments with digital looper.
DH: Is your work now influenced by the virus?
DTS: My COVID-era performance projects are on YouTube
https://youtu.be/b_Zoe90b4yw
https://youtu.be/t3EtemX7BZE
...and a congratulatory video for my Berklee students
https://youtu.be/ELvT-EhzDdM
A few other remote collaborations, including jazz and
classical singing, are in the works.
DH: Do you think it will be in the future?
DTS: I’m sure that things will be different, but I hope we can
get back to gathering for musical experiences together. Luckily my composing
project, which I’ve been planning since November of last year, is a solitary
pursuit and doesn’t require in-person collaboration.
DH: It is hard to make a living as an artist-- period, how has this situation affected you?
DTS: I am a professor in the voice department at Berklee college
of music. We had to start teaching remotely at spring break, which has been a
challenge, but I'm grateful that I still have a job when so many are out of
work. My virtual lessons and classes are with students in Massachusetts,
Connecticut, California, Puerto Rico, Turkey, Georgia (both the country and the
state), and China. I'm the executive VP of the Berklee Faculty Union, which is
fighting hard for job security for our faculty.
My performing gigs were all cancelled. These included
out-of-town shows with my band the Vintage Vocal Quartet, as well as my local
residency playing piano and singing jazz standards at the Avery Bar at the
Ritz-Carlton. In March I was literally on the way to the rental car place in
Assembly Row to get a vehicle for a tour to Pennsylvania when everything
stopped.
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