This week we feature jazz guitarist Scott Sherwood.

Scott has a very smooth, expressive and musical style of playing. He finds the 'good notes' to play. I really enjoyed listening to the sound clips from his website as there were full songs for a change. Actually his complete CDs are presented in Real Audio format. Very nice.

John Abercrombie says of Scott Sherwood "...plays with a natural, loose, yet focused concept that allows the music to really breathe". Well put. Scott certainly shows influences of Ambercrombie with some Pat Metheny, and a dash of Jim Hall thrown in. Very nice, indeed.

Online Bio

Scott Sherwood, born in Milwaukee, WI, was introduced to jazz through his father's record collection. He began playing guitar at the age of 15 in San Antonio, TX and quickly captured attention for his performances. While in high school, Scott received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for three consecutive years and was voted IAJE Overall Outstanding Musician at the University of Texas at Arlington Jazz Festival, Kingsville Jazz Festival and Fiesta Stage Band Festival. He went on to attend the University of Texas at Arlington under Michael Lorimer Guitar and Jazz Studies Scholarships. Scott began his professional career back in Milwaukee with the band Kinetic Shower, which was nominated by the Wisconsin Music Industry (WAMI) for jazz artists of the year.

In 1990, he decided to further his education at the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a Downbeat Award for Outstanding Performance at the college level. Since that time, he has performed concerts and clinics throughout the United States, Costa Rica and Scotland. Scott moved to the East Coast in 1998 and is currently involved in a number of projects including his main group, The Scott Sherwood Trio, featuring drummer Paul Hannah and bassist Mike Nunno and a jazz guitar duo featuring fellow guitarist Steve Giordano.

Scott's compositions have garnered praise from fans, critics and peers alike. He has performed them at jazz festivals throughout the nation including SummerFest (Milwaukee, WI), South by Southwest (Austin, TX) and the PFS Mellon Jazz Festival (Philadelphia, PA.). James Chute of the Milwaukee Journal called Scott's work, "an imaginative fusion of elements drawing from different traditions."

Scott has released two guitar trio recordings of his original compositions on the New York based label Changing Tones. The first project titled "Siren Song" received rave reviews for its sensitivity, musicality and emotional depth. The second trio project "Peaks and Valleys" showcases Scott's new trio with Mike Nunno and Paul Hannah. As an ensemble, the trio is notable for their strong improvisational abilities and musical interaction.

Scott's website: http://scottsherwood.com

Sound Clips: http://scottsherwood.com/audio-samples.html

Doc Dosco is a jazz guitarist, composer and audio consultant living in Los Angeles, CA. His website is located at http://www.docdosco.com, where you can find more information on the 'What's Hot in Jazz Guitar' columns, audio clips of Doc's playing, and many additional features. Doc endorse Heritage Guitars and is a featured artist on their website. He also endorses the new Pignose Valve Tube Amps -- great for jazz (and anything else!)