photo by Camille Lenain

 

Amina Scott, born and raised in Oakland, CA, is an upright and electric bassist, composer, and arranger. Her interest in music began at an early age when her grandmother began giving her piano lessons. From then, her love and passion for music has yet to cease, playing electric bass at the age of twelve and was soon playing gigs with local bands in Oakland.

In 2012, Amina relocated to New Orleans, LA where she studied with Allen Nisbet, Roland Guerin, and Ed Wise. In 2017, Amina began her studies at Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL) studying with Rodney Jordan, Leon Anderson, Marcus Roberts, and Bill Peterson. In 2019, she obtained her Masters in Music in jazz studies. In 2017, Amina joined the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra led by Adonis Rose. With them, she has performed at festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, Ascona Jazz Festival (Ascona, Switzerland), and the Detroit Jazz Festival as well as with the small group, NOJO 7, performing at venues and festivals such as the St. Lucia Jazz Festival (St. Lucia) & the Exit Zero Jazz Festival (Cape May, NJ). Additionally, she also led her own quartet at the 2019 Jacksonville Jazz Festival (Jacksonville, FL).

Now based in New Orleans, Amina has performed with various artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Steve Turre, Wessell “Warm Daddy” Anderson, Nicholas Payton, David Murray, Jamison Ross, Joanne Brackeen, Herlin Riley, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah, and more. She has also performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (Tallahassee, FL) and the Albany Symphony Orchestra (Albany, GA) and is the current bassist for Dee Dee Bridgewater’s DDB Big Band which is an all women big band featuring women from all across the United States. In 2017, Amina was a fellow in the Steans Institute of Music Jazz Program (Ravinia, IL) under the direction of Rufus Reid, Billy Childs, and Nathan Davis. She is also a bandleader in her own right leading her quartet, her six-piece fusion band PHYRA. Amina currently teaches as an adjunct professor at Loyola University New Orleans working with various ensembles and bass students within the Popular and Commercial Music program. She endorses Aguilar Amplification.