Both Sides of Tony Scott

AMG Review of Both Sides of Tony Scott

{$Scott} Yanow
All Music Guide

Records by clarinetist Tony Scott are mostly quite scarce, including this long out-of-print LP. Scott, whose cool tone and boppish solos made him a standout (and an alternative to the rapid playing of Buddy DeFranco) in the 1950s, was always an adventurous player, although his groundings were in op. This particular album features him with two different pianoless rhythm sections (with Mundell Lowe or Dick Garcia on guitar, Teddy Kotick or Milt Hinton on bass, and Shadow Wilson or Osie Johnson on drums) performing six lyrical allads (including "Cry Me a River," "Star Dust," and "More Than You Know"), plus two lengthy originals. The latter were freely improvised at the studio, and they are quite unpredictable while being melodic and ultimately logical. An intriguing and well-rounded album, well worth searching for. Hopefully someday RCA will reissue this little-known but valuable music.