A highly talented musician, Caroline Scott has performed with many important ensembles, both classical and jazz. Among these are (in the UK) the BBC Elstree Concert Band, Tomorrow’s Warriors, Cygnus Flare, (in the US) various groups at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory.
Scott’s career went on temporary hold in 2017 when she underwent open-heart surgery, but she showed her determination to overcome this by embarking on a masters course (in jazz drums) at Trinity Laban and also composing the music for this, her debut album.
The two principal soloists here are pianist and saxophonist. Extensively featured is Turville, a powerful player with occasional touches of introspection. Eagles is a similarly strong player and both these instrumentalists are very much attuned to today’s jazz. Although she is the leader and composer, Scott is content to take a back seat and chooses not to solo. Glasgow’s role is also supportive and he joins Scott in providing propulsion for the group, although he does solo on “Golden Jubilee”.
Scott’s appearance on the scene postdates Angela Smith’s 2014 book, Women Drummers, but there are at least four magazines devoted to drummers, DRUM!, Drumhead, Modern Drummer and Tom Tom, the last of which is exclusively about women drummers. If Caroline Scott has yet to be mentioned in these periodicals she certainly deserves their attention as well as that of jazz fans everywhere. The number of gifted women drummers in all areas of jazz is growing, several of them branching out into leadership. Scott is clearly destined for a successful career in whatever aspect of music she chooses to occupy.
Discography
Orangutan; Overflow; Wind Chimes; Big Flashing Lights; Khoalesce Interlude; Blues For Kev; Golden Jubilee; Zimmer; Nightish; Mauna Kea Sky: Khoalesce Outerlude (35.06)
Duncan Eagles (ts); John Turville (p); Kevin Glasgow (b); Scott (d). London. 23-24 July 2018.
CSCD 0001
