Rhoda Scott born 3 July 1938

Rhoda Scott (born July 3, 1938) is one of the greatest American hard bop and soul jazz organist. Her technical mastery and virtuosity combined with a perfect knowledge of the sonic possibilities of the instrument make her a living myth of the Hammond B3 organ.

The daughter of an AME minister, Scott spent much of her childhood in Dorothy, New Jersey, where she learned to play organ in the churches where her father served. “My father was sent to a church that had a Hammond B3. I was about eight years old. I figured out how the organ worked by myself. Eventually I played organ during all the church services. Only then did my father realise that I had practised so much! This gave me a lot of experience. I picked up a lot from hymn books and became a self-taught sight reader”.

Soon she herself was serving frequently as organist for youth and gospel choirs at her father's and other churches. Scott later studied classical piano, but she concentrated on the organ, eventually earning a Masters' degree in music theory from the  

Manhattan School of Music. By this time she had been asked by a choir member to fill in with a small band as a jazz pianist. Enjoying the music, she agreed to stay on with the band on condition that she be allowed to play organ instead of piano. Choosing as her instrument the Hammond Organ, she soon became a preeminent jazz musician.

 “It's really the most beautiful instrument in the world,” she stated in a recent interview. “The first thing I did was to take my shoes off and work the pedals.”From then on she always played her church organ in her bare feet, and to this date she has continued the practice, earning her nicknames such as “The Barefoot Lady” and “The Barefoot Contessa.” 

Following her lead, many other performers of popular organ music now also play barefoot.

Nineteen-year-old Scott honed her jazz skills under the tutelage of Richard “Groove” Holmes. She kept a job as assistant bookkeeper in Manhattan, working jazz on the side. Subsequently, Count Basie saw her perform in North Jersey, liked what he heard and booked her into his club in New York City. Naturally, the support of Basie kick-started the career of Scott, whose rhythm and blues-drenched soul-jazz playing (and singing) comes across to full effect on the Live At The Key Club record from 1963.

“My style matured in the early 60s. My saxophone player, Joe Thomas, was a big influence. I had learned Walk On The Wild Side note for note. Joe said ‘You got to stop listening to organists. All you will be doing is play clichés. Listen to saxophone players and singers’. That was very good advice. I particularly got hung up with singers. I like my organ to sing. Singers are my most important influences. Among others, I love Morgana King, Frank Sinatra, Dakota Staton, Aretha Franklin and the classic blues singers”. (from an interview with jazz journal).

                              

Scott nonetheless grew to be disappointed by the American musical climate. A study in Paris with the renowned Nadia Boulanger in 1967 was the impetus for her move to France in 1968. She was enamored of the rebellious spirit of May 1968 and fell in love with her future husband, Raoul Saint-Yves, who passed away in 2008.

She earned recognition far greater than that accorded to her in the United States, though she often performs in the latter country as well. Rhoda recorded for a variety of labels including Verve, but the influence of Barclay on her career is immense. The label released 24 albums including compilations.

The Hammond organ is a powerful force in the world of rock, pop and soul. Either as a hot-tempered kick in the butt or restrained accompaniment, it is the glue between sections of many successful songs. Notwithstanding ups and downs, organ jazz has been popular since the late 50s, to the dismay of a considerable number 

of critics. Has Scott felt the need to defend herself as a serious jazz artist? In a recent interview she replied, “I know that, in general, organists do not mean much to white American critics. The American conservatories have jazz programmes for every instrument except organ. That’s a shame”.

Scott has an exceptional musical memory: for example, she knows more than a thousand songs by heart and she composes most of her repertoire. During the 2004 Vienna Festival, she created the "Lady Quartet" with Sophie Alour, Lisa Cat-Berro and Julie Saury. She recorded an album at Sunset, rue des Lombards in Paris.

This ambassador for the Hammond organ has been enthralling audiences worldwide for over forty years. She has played with the greatest, Ray Charles, George Benson, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Morrow.

The 82 year old isn’t resting on her laurels. Scott, based in Chartres, France, recently released her new album Movin’ Blues and continues to perform with Lady Quartet and Ladies All Stars, co operations with top-notch female jazz artists from France.  (Edited from Wikipedia & Jazz Journal which includes all quotes)