Clarinetist, composer, conductor, flautist, and
saxophonist who was born into a musical family and picked up the clarinet at
the age of eight.His father,
film and television composer, Nathan Jones,
encouraged him to cut his teeth on the clarinet before attempting the
saxophone.Eventually, Tom
graduated to a soprano saxophone, then alto, and finally his instrument of
choice, the tenor sax.He
played in all the school bands and was a member of a jazz ensemble as a
sophomore in high school.Upon
graduation in February 1966, he signed up for the Air National Guard and
played in the Air Force Band until 1971.Then, he enrolled in the University
of Southern California and studied there for a year until work beckoned.He got his foot in the door by being
the first musician armed with an amplified flute and echoplex.Soon enough, producers got wind of
his sax playing, pun intended.He has recorded with an encyclopedia of artists and groups too
numerous to list in its entirety, but which includes Oleta
Adams, Herb Alpert, Eric Andersen, Hoyt Axton, Joan Baez, Blondie, Glen
Campbell, Ray Charles, Stanley Clarke, Dr. John, Dan Fogelberg,
The Guess Who, George Harrison, James Ingram, Paul M. Jackson, Jr., Leah
Kunkel, The London Symphony Orchestra, The Manhattan Transfer, Johnny
Mathis, Sir Paul McCartney, Mike Melvoin, Olivia
Newton-John, Claus Ogerman, Dolly Parton, Diana
Ross, Leo Sayer, BozScaggs, Lalo Schifrin, J.D. Souther, Shotgun, Ben Sidran,
Frank Sinatra, Ringo Starr, Toto, Sarah Vaughan,
and Nancy Wilson.In 1973, he
co-founded the fusion outfit L.A. Express who recorded and toured with Joni
Mitchell.Other recordings Tom
has contributed memorable saxophone solos to include Wings' "Listen
to What the Man Said", Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm
Sexy?" and Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You".He eventually followed in his father's
footsteps and scored some films, including Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Stir Crazy, and television shows, including Baretta, Barnaby Jones, Cannon,
Family Ties, Starsky & Hutch, and The
Streets of San Francisco.In addition to his myriad collaborations, he has also enjoyed a
successful solo career, recording albums in five consecutive decades, most
recently 2006's BeBop United
and The Very Best of Tom Scott. He has also acted as the musical
director for the Academy Awards and Emmy Awards and has fun playing on the
soundtracks of American Dad and The Family Guy, and provides
pre-records for American Idol, on
which he appeared with Standing in the Shadows of Motown.(He can be seen in the band's
eponymous rock-doc.)Tom makes
his home in the Hatchpee Mountains when he's
not in L.A.His latest CD, Cannon Re-Loaded:A Tribute to Cannonball Adderley, is due on shelves in January of 2008.
