Craig Scott

Biography
Teacher

Craig Scott has been one of Australia's leading bassists for over 25 years. He began his career in Jazz in 1979 with the Keith Stirling Quartet. Since that time he has been a member of many other jazz groups led by such well-known jazz identities as: Don Burrows, James Morrison, Julian Lee, Kerrie Biddell, Paul MacNamara, Steve McKenna, Steve Brien, Judy Bailey, Roger Frampton, Gordon Brisker, Cathy Harley, Trevor Griffin, Serge Ermoll, Jim Pennell, and many others. He led his own quintet "Improviso" through the 1990’s. It featured Graeme Lyall and Warwick Alder and the band performed at many of Australia’s major jazz festivals including Manly, York, Bellingen, Melbourne International, and Wangaratta. The new Craig Scott Quintet is once again featuring Warwick Alder, along with Paul Cutlan. It, too, is featuring at jazz festivals such as Darling Harbour, Manly, and Wangaratta. As well as performing with many groups, Craig has been invited to perform as bassist for the Wangaratta Festival Jazz Piano competition on three occasions since it’s inception in 1989. In 2008 he was invited to be on the judging panel for the bass competition at the festival.

Craig has also accompanied a plethora of visiting international jazz artists including: Joe Henderson, Red Rodney, Urbie Green, Eddie Daniels, Bobby Shew, Joachim Kuhn, Clifford Jordan, Lee Konitz, Mickey Tucker, James Williams, Ronnie Scott, Frank Morgan, George Cables, Jim McNeely and U.K. jazz vocalist Claire Martin. Most recently he accompanied American jazz pianist and educator Mark Levine for several concerts on his Australian tour.

Awards

1988 Bicentennial Jazz Bassist of the Year

Gear

German 3/4 Double Bass Circa 1900. Thomastik Spirocore Weich, Various Amps, Full Circle Pickup.

Tags

Craig Scott bass, acoustic

Primary Instrument

Composer / conductor

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Craig is also deeply involved in jazz education. He is Chair of the Jazz Studies Unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and coordinator of the Master of Music (Jazz) degree programme. He frequently gives master classes at other tertiary institutions around Australia and New Zealand. He has also taught for the Jazz Action Society jazz workshop programme and for ‘Jazzworx!’ jazz clinics in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Townsville. In July 2002 he was invited to be a guest lecturer at Berklee Music School in Boston, U.S.A for the IASJ (International Association of Schools of Jazz.) Craig holds a Masters Degree in Music (Jazz Performance) from the Australian National University (Canberra School of Music), and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from the University of Sydney.