Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Rhoda Scott was born in Dorothy, New Jersey on July 3, 1938 the daughter of an A.M.E. pastor. She spent most of her childhood in New Jersey, where she learned to play the organ in her father’s churches from the age of seven. Soon she was organist for youth and gospel choirs in her father’s church or in other churches. Later she studied classical piano and focused more on the organ while earning a Masters in Music Theory from the Manhattan School of Music.

During this time, a choir member asked her to be in a small band as a jazz pianist. Accepting under the condition that she play the organ instead of the piano, and overtime on the Hammond organ, she became an outstanding jazz musician. She played the church organ barefoot, and continued this practice earning her the nickname “The Barefoot Lady”. It is considered a role model for many who also play the organ barefoot today. Because of her church training, Scott uses the pedals to play walking bass lines. This leaves her left hand free for more sophisticated chords.

Scott was discovered by Count Basie, who hired her for his club in Harlem, New York. In 1967 she moved to France, where her success was far greater than in the United States. She performed at the Paris Olympia and appeared on stage with many greats such as Ray Charles, George Benson , Ella Fitzgerald, Kenny Clarke and Gilbert Bécaud. In the 1970s she was frequently requested by Joe Thomas, Cees Kranenburg Jr., Bill Elliott, Kenny Clarke, Julie Saury, Sophie Alour, Lisa Cat-Berro, Anne Paceo, Géraldine Laurent, Julien Alour, and Thomas Derouineau.

Her music is a fusion of jazz, gospel, and classical and reflects both her early practice and formal training. Hard bop and soul-jazz organist Rhoda Scott, who has recorded eight albums from 1963 to today, continues to perform and record.

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