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Rusty Scott

Rusty Scott has been the leader and pianist of The Rusty Scott Quartet since the group’s 1994 inception. He has shouldered the responsibility of organizing, booking, and writing for the band and remains the backbone of its sound and direction. Rusty has been a fixture on the Boston jazz scene since 1990, performing professionally as both a soloist and in a wide variety of groups.

Growing up, with stints in northern New Jersey and Burlington, Vermont, he took to the piano at age eight. While attending the University of Vermont, Rusty’s jazz studies began under Bruce Sklar. In 1989 Rusty moved on to Berklee College of Music, where studied with Michael Marra, one of Boston’s' finest bop pianists, Bob Winter of the Boston Pops, and Mike LeDonne (from the bands of Milt Jackson and Benny Golson) and received a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance.

Rusty is heavily influenced by many of the traditional be-bop piano players such as Red Garland, Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Barry Harris, Bud Powell, and Hank Jones, while also keeping his ear tuned to many of the more modern players of jazz.

Rusty has worked all the major Jazz clubs in the Boston area and has performed for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and the Greek and Russian Consulates, to name a few. Since graduating from Berklee, Rusty has free-lanced throughout New England with many bands including: Bill Pierce, Andy McGhee, Robin Kenyatta, Yoron Israel, and Eula Lawrence.

Rusty also plays Hammond B3 organ and currently heads up the Rusty Scott Organ Group, playing major venues throughout Boston and New England.

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Live Review

Rusty Scott Organ Group: Cambridge, February 9, 2011

Read "Rusty Scott Organ Group: Cambridge, February 9, 2011" reviewed by Timothy J. O'Keefe


Rusty Scott Organ GroupRegattabarCambridge, MAFebruary 9, 2011 The cold February night, part of a long winter that dropped 60 inches of snow on Boston, didn't prevent a crowd from gathering as Rusty Scott celebrated his release of The Thrill is Gone (CD Baby, 2010). Scott, a Boston area pianist, slid away from the ivories and, for this latest collection of arrangements, chose instead to explore the Hammond B3 organ. “The organ is ...

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