Tony Scott was one of jazz’s great originals and genuine outsiders, a figure who could have been famous but chose something richer: a life of perpetual musical discovery across cultures and continents.
In June of 2003, I produced the “Legends of the Clarinet” performances at Iridium in New York, bringing together two bebop clarinet giants, Tony Scott and Buddy DeFranco, during the JVC Jazz Festival.
In his June 24 New York Times review, Ben Ratliff described Tony as the “man in black,” observing that he was dressed in black from head to toe, right down to his Yankees cap. It was a memorable image, especially alongside the impeccably dressed Buddy DeFranco.
As it happened, Tony was also in town for the 2003 Jazz Journalists Association Awards at B.B. King’s, where he had been invited to present the award for Clarinetist of the Year.
Tony apparently hadn’t forgotten Ratliff’s description. When he stepped up to present the award, he made a point of referring to his new “man in black” reputation. The punch line was his outfit: Tony had arrived wearing a white suit.
That was Tony Scott: a brilliant, unpredictable musician with a mischievous sense of humor—and impeccable comic timing.
Thanks Brett for this wonderful piece on my good friend,Tony.
We were very close and I stayed often with Tony in Rome. I have some wonderful stories I’d love to tell you. I miss him and his huge heart. I never met anyone like him.
Did Tony play in the Dorsey band? I recall (could be an hallucination) a 'secret' cassette recording of cats, Tony among them, in a bar (crazy, I know) reminiscing about their days and nights on the road with Dorsey. It was hilarious and pointed (as is the insertion end of a sharp object) set of reflection on TD. I got it from Jay Corre, tenor saxoponist of blessed memory. He gave it to me before his memory was blessed.
By the way, he also toured South Africa for about two weeks in August 1957, at the height of apartheid. Apartheid was implemented in 1948. Race laws governed public life and cultural venues. Scott refused to perform exclusively for white audiences, insisting that he would only undertake the tour if he could play for everyone, regardless of race. He played at venues in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. In Johannesburg, he famously jammed with Kippie Moeketsi, the South African sax player often compared to Charlie Parker. (The writer Bloke Modisane, in his autobiography, has a vivid description of the event.) In Johannesburg, Scott also recorded with two white South African musicians and, separately, penny-whistle players known as the Alexandra Dead End Kids. The album is known as "Tony Scott in South Africa." Later, he also recorded a tune called "Blues for an African Friend." I always wondered if that was for Moeketsi (a close associate of Abdullah Ibrahim). The decision to visit South Africa was controversial; it occurred at the start of what would become a cultural and economic boycott of South Africa.
In June of 2003, I produced the “Legends of the Clarinet” performances at Iridium in New York, bringing together two bebop clarinet giants, Tony Scott and Buddy DeFranco, during the JVC Jazz Festival.
In his June 24 New York Times review, Ben Ratliff described Tony as the “man in black,” observing that he was dressed in black from head to toe, right down to his Yankees cap. It was a memorable image, especially alongside the impeccably dressed Buddy DeFranco.
As it happened, Tony was also in town for the 2003 Jazz Journalists Association Awards at B.B. King’s, where he had been invited to present the award for Clarinetist of the Year.
Tony apparently hadn’t forgotten Ratliff’s description. When he stepped up to present the award, he made a point of referring to his new “man in black” reputation. The punch line was his outfit: Tony had arrived wearing a white suit.
That was Tony Scott: a brilliant, unpredictable musician with a mischievous sense of humor—and impeccable comic timing.
Thanks Brett for this wonderful piece on my good friend,Tony.
We were very close and I stayed often with Tony in Rome. I have some wonderful stories I’d love to tell you. I miss him and his huge heart. I never met anyone like him.
If you'd like to see Tony Scott in his white suit email me jim@jazzpromoservices.com
Did Tony play in the Dorsey band? I recall (could be an hallucination) a 'secret' cassette recording of cats, Tony among them, in a bar (crazy, I know) reminiscing about their days and nights on the road with Dorsey. It was hilarious and pointed (as is the insertion end of a sharp object) set of reflection on TD. I got it from Jay Corre, tenor saxoponist of blessed memory. He gave it to me before his memory was blessed.
By the way, he also toured South Africa for about two weeks in August 1957, at the height of apartheid. Apartheid was implemented in 1948. Race laws governed public life and cultural venues. Scott refused to perform exclusively for white audiences, insisting that he would only undertake the tour if he could play for everyone, regardless of race. He played at venues in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. In Johannesburg, he famously jammed with Kippie Moeketsi, the South African sax player often compared to Charlie Parker. (The writer Bloke Modisane, in his autobiography, has a vivid description of the event.) In Johannesburg, Scott also recorded with two white South African musicians and, separately, penny-whistle players known as the Alexandra Dead End Kids. The album is known as "Tony Scott in South Africa." Later, he also recorded a tune called "Blues for an African Friend." I always wondered if that was for Moeketsi (a close associate of Abdullah Ibrahim). The decision to visit South Africa was controversial; it occurred at the start of what would become a cultural and economic boycott of South Africa.