Artist description In March of 2001 with the co-production help of Scott Vestal, Scott fulfilled a dream by recording his first solo project "Rivers" featuring some of his original tunes and some of the finest acoustic musicians on the planet: Wayne Benson, John Cowan, Shelton Feazell, Aubrey Haynie, Jim Hurst, Rob Ickes, Missy Raines, Gabe Valla, Scott Vestal and Darren Wainright. Soon after seeing this project come to fruition, he formed The Scott Anderson Band to bring the songs to life on stage.

Music Style bluegrass, Americana, newgrass, folk

Similar Artists John Cowan, Bela Fleck, Scott Vestal, Nickel Creek, Alison Krauss and Union Station

Artist History Scott Anderson has been a fixture on the Southeastern bluegrass and gospel circuit for almost two decades. He began with the contemporary and Southern gospel of First Light, then played the traditional bluegrass sound of the Bluegrass Parlor Band, followed by the driving grungegrass of Endless Highway and the sweet gospel of Gentle River. Now he's melded these and other influences into the powerful acoustic sound of The Scott Anderson Band. Scott was influenced by diverse musical styles from an early age. While he listened with his two older brothers to the popular groups of the '50's, '60's, and '70's he was simultaneously being exposed to the bluegrass and mountain music of Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, and many others by parents transplanted from southwestern Virginia, and at church he sang the songs from the Baptist hymnal. At age 12 he began learning guitar and at 13 started on banjo. Scott attended his first bluegrass festival as a young teen at Lawtey, Florida. That's when his musical fire really began to burn. He played informally with friends and attended as many festivals as he could for the next few years. At 19 he began his musical career on banjo and guitar with First Light, a gospel group in his hometown of Palatka and at that time did his first session work. While attending the University of Florida in 1989, he was offered a spot in Tom Henderson's Bluegrass Parlor Band as a bass player and vocalist. So he quickly learned to play bass for their upcoming southeastern tour. Later he switched over to the banjo spot. With the Bluegrass Parlor Band he appeared on "Two Colors" on the Pinecastle label. In 1993, he co-founded Endless Highway which also included the the amazing talents of Gabe Valla, Greg Turner, Mike Hyde, Tuck Tucker, and Tim Higgins performing grungy bluegrass, soft ballads, and even some hot jazz. With that band Scott performed throughout the Southeast, was a winner in the Pizza Hut Bluegrass Showdown, landed a coveted IBMA showcase spot, and released one critically acclaimed project for Mid-Knight Records in 1996. In 1999 he returned to Southern and bluegrass gospel and began performing with Gentle River in churches across North Florida. With this band he displays more of his vocal skills, singing lead, tenor, and baritone parts. He has also performed or recorded with Vassar Clements, Larry Rice, Chubby Wise, Allen Shadd, Bill Grant and Delia Bell, Blue Angel, Chief Jim Billie, George Custer, The Sno Rogers Band and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra (yes, with a banjo!) among others, and has been featured in Banjo Newsletter. Now on to the original sound of The Scott Anderson Band. Should we call it “bluegrass”? There is a very strong bluegrass influence, but some purists might not agree with that term. Maybe just “acoustic music.” Or maybe “Swampgrass.” A native Floridian, Scott was born in Palatka, Florida on January 26, 1965. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, he is also a pharmacist, an amateur photographer, a mediocre surfer, and a Little League baseball coach.

Group Members Scott Anderson - banjo, guitar, vocals Darren Wainright - guitar, vocals Mark Fowler - mandolin, guitar, vocals Bruce Sheridan - bass Jason Thomas - fiddle

Instruments banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass, fiddle

Albums Rivers - 2001

Press Reviews "The back of the CD says "File under 'bluegrass'," and the cover photo shows Scott Anderson in a stereotypically rural Southern setting, picking his banjo beside a sluggish green river. But don't be fooled — it's really not quite that simple. Though Anderson is a very accomplished bluegrass banjo player and he demonstrates those chops on several tracks, he also spends a considerable amount of time exploring less traditional terrain. Accompanied by such eminent acoustic-music figures as fiddler Aubrey Haynie, singer and guitarist Jim Hurst, banjo player Scott Vestal, and bassist Missy Raines, he plays in a style that varies from straight-ahead (on the Earl Scruggs standard "Nashville Blues") to complex and jazzy (his own composition "Tyler and Amanda") and a hybrid style that alternates melodic with Scruggs-style picking ("Ruby Falls"). His singing is also a consistent delight; while he turns the vocal chores over to others on several tracks, his own vocals offer some of the album's best moments. Highly recommended to all adventurous bluegrass fans." Rick Anderson, All Music Guide " This is Bluegrass at it's finest. Solid driving Scruggs style banjo, smooth melodic lines and maybe some Bela jazz touches, Scott has covered the bases with traditional and contemporary sounding originals." Dennis Jones WNCW-FM Spindale N.C. "Only a musical genius could have done it!" Jane Royal, Midnight Flyer "...banjo playing and vocal work is great...It's a winner!" Mark Newton, The Mark Newton Band "...superb selection of tunes, not the least of which are originals...killer arrangement of Nashville Blues...great job on Ichetucknee and Satilla, So Deep...I'll be playing them all." Dave Higgs, WPLN-FM Brentwood, TN "A very fine project - well done and loaded with originality." Buck Buckner KGNU-FM Boulder, CO "Scott Anderson is a great artist...banjo picker with a beautiful voice with a superb selection of tunes...Scott is a natural thing!... and the selection is not easy, all (of the) CD is so good!" Andre LeClerc, Radio Tilt, Gievres, France "I listen to a lot of albums, and I start to worry about the future of bluegrass and acoustic music. Then an album like Scott's comes to me. His playing stands out as does his singing. Though the album contains artists you hear on other albums it sounds very original because of Scott. IT WILL AND HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF AIRPLAY." "Big" Al Weekley, KRVN, Lexington, NE "...Scott is a heck of a banjo picker." Vic Canter KCLC-FM St. Peters, MO "...an excellent collection of originals and generally unknown tunes...all enjoyable and affecting...Nice work all around and a very pleasant listen." Bluegrass Unlimited, January 2002 "Kick @#$* stuff!!" David Berry

Location Gainesville, Florida - USA

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