Contemporary Jazz

7 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Contemporary Jazz, JAZZ: Modern Creative Jazz



Details:
The name Future Positive is taken from the title of a book by Edward de Bono.

The first incarnation of the band featured the dynamic Daniel Crosby on drums and percussionist par excellence Karl Vanden Bossche - alongside bassist and bandleader Paul K Scott and pianist Tommy Scott. This line-up surfaced briefly for some live gigs in 2005 including an extremely well received performance at the Brecon International Jazz Festival.

In May 2006 Paul K Scott was approached by German singer/songwriter Katharina Heinrich to play on sessions she was organising. This in turn led later in the year to Paul K and Tommy Scott meeting drummer Shane Young (who had already been working with Katharina for some months).

Youngâs playing background has featured mostly recording and touring with pop/rock acts (notably with Apple Mosaic who were signed to Virgin and Katydids who were signed to Reprise) but the music he listens to, loves and aspires to play well has always been what would usually be categorised as jazz.

No surprise then that a powerful musical chemistry was quickly established that all three were excited about exploring and developing further. More surprising, at least to Young (who had by now attended a couple of informal jam sessions) was Paul Kâs suggestion that a studio session booked for the following week (with the intent of recording Tommy playing some totally improvised solo piano) be used instead to record the sound of the trio âcoming together,â with a view to putting out a record if something worth preserving got captured.

Remedies, the debut CD from Future Positive, is the result. Recorded live on 2nd November 2006, all seven tracks were either first (mostly) or second takes with no overdubs.

Interview with Tommy Scott by John Fordham published in Jan/Feb edition of Jazz UK in 2001:

Introducing: TOMMY SCOTT

When the performance of a little-known 16 year-old pianist wins superlatives from jazz observers whoâve certainly been around the corner a few times and donât buy Next Big Thing stories all that easily, you know something unusual is going on.

Thatâs happened to Tommy Scott. At Cheltenham, and more recently for the passing London commuters in the Festival Hallâs foyer, he has been delivering his own technically startling and conceptually mature variations on the jazz piano main-line of Monk, Bud Powell, and Herbie Hancock - with a little Kenny Kirkland and Geri Allen thrown in. As well as his bassist father Paul, Scott Jnr is joined by that unfailingly powerful and propulsive accompanist to pianists, drummer Gene Calderazzo.

Tommy Scott has played the piano since the age of six but is largely self-taught, with a remarkable focus and determination that has enabled him to absorb some of the most complex pianistics in both classical music and jazz, and to transcribe much of what appeals to him from records. Educated at home rather than the conventional system (an experience he shares with the classical piano virtuoso Joanna McGregor) Scott discovered music in his own way, and audiences are just beginning to hear the fruits of it.

âI taught myself to understand jazz harmony from theory books and transcriptionsâ, Tommy Scott told Jazz UK. âIâd try to analyse solos and work out what was going on â and I had some valuable help from Jason Rebello, Joey Calderazzo, and from Danilo Perez. Danilo teaches at the New England Conservatory, and Iâd like to go there to study. I just want to play some more gigs, and get all the experience I can â but I donât want to record yet. A lot of players do that too soon, and I want to wait until Iâve got something to say.â

From his recent performances, Tommy Scott doesnât sound too far away from that.

Review by Roger Avory published in June 2000 edition of Jazz Review:

Cheltenham International Jazz Festival

29 April - 1 May 2000

Sunday started with an astonishing set by 16 year-old piano player Tommy Scott, being inspired by Gene Calderazzo on drums. Scott is new to me [and probably everyone else â Ed.] but he is going all the way, assuming he is looked after. Since his bassist is father Paul, he should be OK. Calderazzo, since relocating to the UK from New York, has been known as a drummer for all seasons, but here he was in an awesome mood, as if in telepathic communication with the piano player, at times driving him on, at times quietly propulsive, always in touch with the mood and the swing. I say it again â awesome. Memo to festivals and promoters, book this trio now and accept no deps!