About Scott

(go to www.myspace.com/scottdetweiler for live video and song downloads)

SCOTT DETWEILER is an American composer and lyricist born and raised in New Orleans. He began his musical journey at age 17 by studying guitar. He then went on to study jazz guitar at Loyola University (New Orleans) with Bill Huntington and then music composition at the University of New Orleans. It was at the universities that he would also first learn to read music and begin to sing, as a member of opera choruses and master chorales.

AFTER LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS he studied orchestration as a private pupil of Ellis Marsalis in Ellis' home. He also studied writing and arranging for strings with Henry Mancini and Albert Harris, and writing for film and television with Earle Hagen. He attended a songwriting seminar with Harriet Schock and studied lyric writing with K. Parker at the BMI Institute in West Hollywood.

HIS COMPOSITIONAL STYLE, whether it be his extensive catalog of songs, or his diverse body of classical compositions, is a unique blend of jazz and blues and is built on rhythms indiginous to New Orleans. Even his classical compositions are full of soul and are considered to be truly "American Music". It has been said that he "stands at the crossroads of blues, jazz, soul and funk".

THE ENERGY AND SOULFULNESS OF HIS GUITAR playing has been compared to B.B. King, Earl King, and Dickie Betts, while his vocal soulfulness is often compared to the range of emotion known in the vocal styles of Bobby "Blue" Bland, Aaron Neville and Elton John.

SCOTT IS A COMPELLING PERFORMER, singing and playing the guitar, whether he is playing solo or with his full band.

HAS BAND HAS SHARED THE BILL with many bands including The Neville Brothers, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and The Allman Brothers Band and in addition to performing and living in the U.S. he has performed in Europe and Asia. His symphonic premiere was with the New Orleans Symphony and his compositions have been honored by the Utah Composer's Guild, The Nashville Music City Song Festival and the Billboard Music Awards.

HE WORKED WITH several dance companies as a collaborating composer and as composer in residence. Most notabely would be his work with Gabriel Masson Dance Company of New York for the 2000 - 2001 Season. (Gabriel Masson is currently based out of San Diego, California). He composed his first two string quartets and other important chamber dance works for their choreography. Scott is a prolific composer (see "Principle Works" page of his website) and an active performer, both solo (on hollow body jazz guitar and vocals) and with his band.

FROM HIS , "Slumber Tongue" CD, a collection of instrumental pieces featuring a variety of work, from solo concert pieces to full band compositions that brings Scott's all around guitar work to light for the first time (establishing him as a brilliant soloist, both on electric and acoustic guitars), to his "Between Lake and River", the haunting concept CD tribute to New Orleans, the diversity and range of style displayed by his CD catalog exhibits artistic depth, versatility and vision that is an uncommon rarity.

IN ADDITION TO PRODUCING other artists and performing, he is a freelance arts journalist. His reviews of CDs, live concerts, short films nad his original poetry can be found at www.helium.com.

HEAR Scott Detweiler's "Sometimes It's Hard" now playing at www.myspace.com/thatbritishplace.

ALSO HEAR blues legend of Germany, Joe Blues, play Scott Detweiler's "Be Gentle", in a live recording now playing at www.myspace.com/joeandfriends.

YOU CAN ALSO HEAR Scott Detweiler's "She Give Me Love", "43", "Calhoun and Willow" and "Be Gentle" at www.myspace.com/peerlessguitars.com.

SCOTT DETWEILER IS ENDORSED BY PEERLESS GUITARS (www.peerlessguitars.com and www.peerlessguitars.co.uk) and serves as a consultant, providing evaluation and constructive feedback about their construction, tone and playability. (He is the first American endorsee for Peerless guitars.)

SCOTT IS ENDORSED BY GOMEZ AMPLIFICATION OF CALIFORNIA(www.gomezamps.com) and is plays through their entire line of amplifiers.

SCOTT DETWEILER IS ENDORSED BY BIG BEND'S NUT SAUCE (www.bigbends.com) and uses it on all of his guitars.

SCOTT DETWEILER MADE LOS ANGELES MUSIC HISTORY ON OCTOBER 6, 2007

Scott was the first blues artist/composer known ever to premiere a chamber piece and perform with his blues ensemble in the same concert setting.

Following a performance of two pieces by Mozart, Detweiler's "The Sun Will Rise" (for string quartet and alto saxophone, composed in July 2007 about the Katrina disaster in New Orleans), premiered at the 430 seat Madrid Theater in Los Angeles. The audience gave the 4 movement, 20 minute piece, an enthusiastic standing ovation.

After a brief intermission Detweiler, backed by Ed Cogan on piano, Sam Nee on bass, Paul Van De Riet on drums and Larry McRae on saxophones and flute (McRae also played the alto saxophone in "The Sun Will Rise"), took the stage for over an hour, performing selections from his new VAVV Records Release.

SCOTT DETWEILER SIGNS WITH VAVV RECORDS

In March of 2007, Scott Detweiler signed a contract with Los Angeles based VAVV Records. It was released in 2008 and is available on line and at fine CD stores.

During the course of his career, spanning over 20 (twenty) years, Detweiler has independently released 8 cds and countless live cds; however, this marks his first affiliation with a recording company. Although he was actually offered 2 (two) other recording contracts, including one with a major label (both offers were declined by Detweiler because they would not agree to his terms), over the years he has been rejected by dozens of agencies, management companies, publishers and recording companies, including A&M, Atlantic, and Geffen.

VAVV Records (www.vavvrecords.com) recognizes Scott Detweiler as an important, original and prolific artist in the story of New Orleans music and will bring accelerated exposure to his sound on an international level.

IN 2008 DETWEILER WAS AWARDED A CERTIFICATE OF CONGRESSIONAL REGOCNITION by 27th District California Congressman Brad Sherman in “recognition for the his great work in entertaining the public”, after watching his performance opening for the New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Warner Park.

ALSO IN SEP 2008 BALLET MEMPHIS PREMIERED "SHE DIDN'T STAY LONG", A NEW BALLET BY DETWEILER AND CHOREOGRAPHER GABRIEL MASSON (also from New Orleans) that is an expression of the effect that the Katrina Disaster has had (and continues to have) on their own emotions and the lives of their families and friends.

Email scottdetweiler@hotmail.com for booking information.

Studio photo by Sebastian Sheehan.