Amina Scott: Explorations

Short Bio:

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. Her love of music grew as she began to play bass in various bands in Oakland. She relocated to New Orleans in 2012 where she quickly became a part of the vibrant music scene. In 2017, she was a fellow at Ravinia Steans Institute of Music where she was under the mentorship of Billy Childs. Now, Amina leads her own bands and she has performed and toured with various artists including Nicholas Payton, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Johnny Vidacovich, Steve Turre, Joanne Brackeen, Don Vappie, Herlin Riley, Chief Xian Atunde Adjuah, and more. In May 2024, she released her debut album, Where the Wild Seed Grows. In recent years, Scott has toured with her group across the country including Brooklyn, NY, Oakland, CA, San Francisco, CA, and Ascona Switzerland. She has headlined Healdsburg Jazz Festival serving as their rising star artist in residence as well as the Ascona Jazz Festival. She has recently recorded with French pianist Amaury Faye on his latest project Rust which features saxophonist Julian Lee and drummer Herlin Riley.

Combining elements of the avant-garde and enticing grooves,, her new project, Explorations, is a quartet that combines musical interplay, strong compositions, and emotional storytelling that showcases the artistry of all involved. The core group features Scott Johnson on saxophone, Arnold Little III on guitar, and Peter Varnado on drums. The group recently recorded their first record together and will be releasing the project in early 2027.

Artist information:

Based in: New Orleans, LA, USA

Labels: Independent

Influences: Brian Blade & the Fellowship, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter

Genre: modern jazz, improvisational music