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Mike Scott

Guitarist Mike Scott plays with equal parts energy and spirit, lyricism, swing, creativity, a soulful and expressive touch, and always with a well crafted sense of rhythm. Mike has been an active part of the Los Angeles jazz scene since the late 90's when he started playing his first professional gigs. In addition to his accomplishments as a guitarist Mike is also well known for his compositions. His debut CD "Good Place To Be" featured 8 original songs and his 2011 release "Fallen Peach" was comprised entirely of his own compositions. Mike has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad in both intimate jazz clubs and large concert halls. Mike was born in Fukuoka, Japan while his father was stationed overseas. He grew up in Ohio, New Jersey, and Arizona before moving to Southern California at the age of 18 to pursue a career in music. He studied at Fullerton College and transferred to the University of Southern California where he earned a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Music Performance.

Mike has enjoyed a varied career performing, recording, composing and teaching. He has performed throughout the United States and abroad, recorded for television and film soundtracks, played as a sideman for a number of CD projects and recorded his own albums as well. Some performance highlights include performing with Stevie Wonder at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, with Monica Mancini and the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, as well as performances with some well known names in jazz, including Seamus Blake, Matt Wilson, Abraham Laboriel, Vince Mendoza, Darek Oles, Larry Koonse, Josh Nelson and Ben Wendel.

In 2007 Mike was a founding member of the Los Angeles Jazz Collective. The LAJC is a group of like minded musicians that works together to promote their bands and original music through a series of successful concerts and festivals. The LAJC is also involved in music education and offers a number of clinics and workshops that are open to the public.

Mike is currently a full-time faculty member at Fullerton College. At Fullerton Mike teaches both private lessons and courses in guitar study, History of Jazz and Rock Music and directs a jazz combo. He has had successful students transfer to The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC, Berklee College of Music, the University of Miami, the University of Southern California, CalArts, and Cal State Universities of Fullerton, Northridge, and Long Beach.

David Sills Double Guitar Quintet: Natural Lines

Read "Natural Lines" reviewed by Mark Sullivan

by Mark Sullivan
October 8, 2020

Los Angeles-based reed player David Sills has usually led a quintet with guitar, piano, bass and drums. Most of his recent performances have taken place in venues lacking a piano, so he began adding a second guitar. The change in instrumentation had a side benefit, opening up new musical possibilities and colors. Having two guitars in the rhythm section is common in rock music, but unusual in jazz, so it offers a novel listening experience (especially for jazz guitar fans). ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Mike Scott

by AAJ Staff
April 15, 2009

Meet Mike Scott:Guitarist Mike Scott was born in Japan, raised in Ohio, New Jersey and Arizona before moving to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue a career in music. His studies of classical and jazz guitar led him to USC where he earned a Masters Degree in Music Performance.

He has performed extensively in the LA area and throughout the United States. He has recorded for television and film soundtracks, a number CD projects, and had the opportunity ...

Recording

Guitarist Mike Scott Releases 'Collecting Things,' Featuring Joe Bagg, Darek Oles And Jake Reed

Source: Mouthpiece Music
January 12, 2021

Collecting Things, the newest recording by guitarist and composer Mike Scott, is a pastiche of music styles mostly penned by Scott and performed by some of the top jazz musicians in Southern California. This is the third album by Scott as a leader and follows Fallen Peach (2011) and Good Place To Be (2000). The L.A. Weekly says, “Like the author of this subtle record, the music won't hit you over the head with precocious braggadocio or mind-numbing complexity. The ...
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Recording

The Waterboys' Mike Scott Goes For Brogue On "An Appointment With Mr. Yeats"

Source: conqueroo
October 23, 2012

Legendary Scottish bandleader and songwriter finds new inspiration in the poetry of W.B. Yeats on the Waterboys’ first new album in a half-decade An Appointment With Mr. Yeats to be released March 26, 2013 on Proper American DUBLIN, Ireland — In what stands as one of the boldest, most ambitious projects of his storied career, Waterboys auteur Mike Scott has collaborated, figuratively speaking, with the legendary Irish poet W.B. Yeats on the 14 songs of An Appointment With Mr. Yeats, ...
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Event

This Wednesday-LAJC Residency at Blue Whale, Part III, David Valdez Group, Mike Scott Trio, The Music of Monk featuring Gilad Hekselman

Source: Los Angeles Jazz Collective
January 17, 2012

Another Wednesday night brought another boisterous crowd and another round of compelling music. Thanks again to those who made it last week and especially to those of you who made it out for both Wednesdays. Here's what's happening this week: David Valdez Group Saxophonist David Valdez has been living in Portland, Oregon for nearly a dozen years but prior to that he certainly got around, from his hometown of San Francisco to Santa Cruz, off to college in Boston, back ...
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