Randy Scott

Randy Scott, a saxophonist recognized for fusing contemporary jazz with gospel and R&B, has earned acclaim both onstage and in the classroom. Three victories at It's Showtime at the Apollo marked his early rise, beginning with a self-titled debut in the 1990s and followed by further listener growth through releases such as Breathe in 2007, 90 Degrees at Midnight in 2011, and Serenity in 2015. Behind the scenes he collected honors that include shared Grammy nominations for contributions alongside Vickie Winans as well as joint projects involving Kirk Franklin, Tim Bowman, Jr., and additional artists. Based in the Detroit area, he balances teaching duties with live performances, reaching the summit of Billboard's Smooth Jazz Airplay Chart in 2020 via the title track from his album Elevation.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Scott began playing saxophone in childhood, inspired by his mother's affinity for jazz. While still in high school he met his idol and later mentor, saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., who advised him to apply his Michigan State University scholarship toward classical training. During his MSU years he entered and won the first of three appearances at New York's It's Showtime at the Apollo. After earning a bachelor's degree in music education and before completing a master's at Wayne State University, Scott launched his own Detroit-area music production company and recording studio. Alongside local music instruction he composed, recorded, and produced material, working with numerous artists especially in gospel, among them early clients MSU Wind Symphony, Gwen Dickies, and Harri Paris in the early 1990s.

In 1993 he issued his solo debut, the self-titled Randy Scott, writing every track and serving as producer. Over the following six years he performed on and produced albums by Kirk Franklin, Detroit poet Darold Gholston, In Accord, Jennifer Kendall, Rodney Mansfield, Men of Standard, James Moss, Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale, and Jacqueline Turner-Robinson. His second solo album, Future, appeared in 1999. Returning to session roles, he played on and produced projects by Rance Allen, Ted Brannon, Jacky Clark, and Cheri Oliver, among others, while also writing songs for Allen, Shelby.Brown, and Martin Taylor.

Scott released his third solo album, Words Unspoken, in 2002. Between 2003 and 2006 his session and production work encompassed releases by Bamm Davis, Paul Hill, Keefe Marzell, Michael Mindingall, Terrance Palmer, Aden Springsteen, Al Turner, and Vickie Winans. He also served as saxophonist in the band of guitarist Tim Bowman, who appeared on Scott's fourth solo album, Breathe, issued by Megawave Records on July 10, 2007. In 2009 he played on Winans' Grammy-nominated album How I Got Over.

Scott made his Trippin 'n' Rhythm label debut in 2011 with the Demetrius Nabors-produced 90 Degrees at Midnight. Further albums followed on the label, including Serenity in 2015 and Elevation in 2020, the latter yielding a title-track hit that reached number one on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Airplay Chart.