Biography

(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 UNO 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 Dr. Albert Harris (Pulitzer Prize nominee), 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.

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

SCOTT HAS SHARED THE BILL with many artistsincluding 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 was also awarded a Congressional Certificate of Recognition by California Congressman Brad Sherman.

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 the company. Masson and Detweiler would collaborate again in 2008 for a production of "She Didn't Stay Long", produced and performed by Ballet Memphis. 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 and the first endorsee in the history of the company.)

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 became one of the few jazz artist/comosers ever to premiere a chamber piece and perform with his quintet 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 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"), the quintet took the stage for over an hour, performing selections from his vast catalog of compositions.

DETWEILER RELEASED TWO NEW ALBUMS IN SEPTEMBER 2009. INFUSION WENT AWAY (a collection of new and previously released original material) and RENDITIONATION INTEGRATION (a collection of jazz and soul classics) were both recorded live at the Infusion Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles in August 2009.

SUMMER 2010 BRINGS DETWEILER TO SOUTH AMERICA for shows in Peru and Ecuador. Check the Calendar for listings.

DETWEILER'S 2010 RELEASE, "BLUE ROASTED JAZZ" will be digitally released before the end of the year.

Email scottdetweiler@hotmail.com for more information.

Studio photo by Sebastian Sheehan.