Music
Press
"Resophonic steel guitarist, vocalist and ace arranger Scott Perry has been captivating audiences with his distinctive mix of self-penned and traditional country blues for over twenty years. Recently settled in in Floyd County, Virginia, he spent his formative years traveling up and down the East Coast and into the Midwest, including a pivotal period in Chicago where he was mentored by blues veterans like Smokey Smothers, David "Honeyboy" Edwards and Carl Weathersby.
Three earlier releases focused largely on his original material, while this disc is devoted to the songs and performers that initially insprired him to pick up the guitar. From William Moore ("One Way Gal" and a swaggering "Ragtime Millionaire"), Blind Boy Fuller and Mississippi John Hurt to Skip James (a brooding "Hard Time Killing Floor"), Furry Lewis, Blind Blake and Tampa Red's lively "Jitter Jump," Perry visits the music of his mentors.
Perry's relaxed, unkempt vocals are especially effective on a pair of jug band revivals ("Going to Germany" and "France Blues") with Rick Manson on harmonica and Scott Baldwin's jug added to the proceedings while his arrangement of traditional songs like "See See Rider" and "Oh Papa" along with the instrumental "Spanish Fandango" uncover an easy-rolling, acoustic finger-picking style that expansively burnishes chords, melodies and rhythms. Covers of Robert Johnson's angular "Stop Breaking Down" and Muddy Waters' reverberating "I's Be Troubled" catch the ear as well.
Perry is also an active promoter of the blues with his Blues Pathways Foundation, frequent Blues in the Schools and guitar workshops throughout the country. This marvelous, self-produced tribute project was recorded locally, with no compression, at Mark Hodge's intimate Mountain Fever Studio in Willis, Virginia. Your toes will be tappin'." Gvon T, "Sing Out!" (Summer 2004, Vol. 48 #2) - Sing Out!
"A fingerpicker from Virginia, Scott Perry clearly has done his homework woodshedding on pre-World War II blues. These 16 wide ranging renditions traverse the Delta blues of Robert Johnson and William Moore, the East Coast ragtime of Blind Blake, and the uptown swing of Tampa Red. Perry avoids pitfalls of many tribute records by choosing infrequently covered material, such as Blake's "Hey, Hey Daddy Blues" and Moore's "One Way Gal," and making the tunes his own with the front-porch quality of his smooth and expressive picking and mellow singing. Perry plays solo on some cuts; on others he's backed by harmonica, jug, washboard, and bass. Ralph Berrier supplies an excellent rough-sawed fiddle on several tracks."
Ian Zack, "Acoustic Guitar Magazine" (April 2004) - Acoustic Guitar
"Virginia's Scott Perry submits his first all-covers album, with the intent of praising those who developed blues in its early years. The intimate sound of Hero Worship (Oh Papa Music 1099) spotlights Perry's mellow vocals and the sometimes dazzling fingerpicking and slide work produced on his National guitar, with occassional unobtrusive accompaniment by bass, washboard, jug, harp, and fiddle. Some tracks hew close to the originals, while others are reimagined -- "Back Door Man," for instance, becomes a Delta slide piece, Robert Johnson's "Stop Breakin' Down" is ratcheted down several notches on the intensity scale, and John Hurt's "Monday Morning Blues" appears in a jug-band arrangement. Blind Blake's "Hey, Hey Daddy" and Gus Canon's "Going to Germany" number among the highlights." Tom Hyslop, "Blues Revue" (Issue No. 87) - Blues Revue
"Country Blues guitarist Scott Perry's previous albums have relied heavily on original material, although his live performances often feature interpretations of classic material by artists such as Gus Canon, Blind Blake, Skip James and Tampa Red. Hence, Hero Worship, a concept album meant to showcase Perry's treatment of some of his favorites. The disc has a pleasant, relaxed feel with Perry's guitar bouncing from fine finger-picking on Furry Lewis' IWill Turn Your Money Green to a lowdown, trance-like dirge on Skip James' Hard Time Killin' Floor. Though he's a versatile and talented guitarist, he is not always able to express the nuances that the material demands. Nevertheless, as the title implies, Hero Worship is more about paying homage to heroes than rivaling them, and as such proves to be an enjoyable album of honestly rendered classics." Michael Hurtt, "Living Blues" (Issue # 172, Vol. # 2 & 3)
- Living Blues
Discography
1997 "Juke 'n' Slide," Sunrise Records
2002 "I'm Happy Now," Oh Papa Music
2004 "Hero Worship," Oh Papa Music
2007 "8 Miles to Perryville," Oh Papa Music
Photos
Bio
Scott Perry's music celebrates the relevance and vitality of acoustic music created and recorded in the early years of the 20th century. Drawing inspiration from traditional blues, hill billy, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, old time, honky tonk, western swing jazz and mountain guitar, Scott has fashioned an old school sound that resonates today. His interpretations of traditional songs reflect respect for the past and the music's traditions of fusion and self-expression. He has also written and recorded dozens of songs that display these influences.
A performer with a 25-year career, Scott began his musical journey in college. He earned a degree, despite hours spent trying to recreate the music of Mississippi John Hurt, Robert Johnson and Reverend Gary Davis. After a brief teaching career, Scott moved to Chicago and worked with David Honeyboy Edwards, Big Smokey Smothers, Jimmy Walker, Carl Weathersby and Billy Branch. While living in Georgia, Scott hung out with Neal Pattman and Frank Edwards, and in South Carolina met Drink Small and Richard Big Boy Henry.
Since settling in Virginia, Scott has spent time with Nat Reese and the late John Jackson and many traditional and old-time players. Scott maintains a healthy performance schedule while home-schooling his sons and working a small farm in southwestern Virginia with his wife.
Scott not only advocates for blues and roots music in his live shows and recordings, but also works in schools, colleges, libraries and community centers presenting "Blues Pathways" workshops. These workshops present a broad overview of the lyrical and musical elements of the music and the cultural and historical context that created it. Musical examples, hands on activities and songwriting exercises keep audiences of all ages engaged and entertained.
Scott owns and operates a music store, the PickinÂ’ Porch, that features acoustic musical instruments and supplies. He gives over thirty guitar lessons every week to students aged 5 to 75.
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