Biography
Emerging during the 1980s alongside his ensemble Tribal Tech, fusion guitarist Scott Henderson established himself as a respected virtuoso whose prolific work spans multiple decades. The group’s intricate, genre-bending approach earned Henderson and Tribal Tech a devoted following among jazz-rock listeners, yielding releases such as Spears in 1985 and Thick in 1999. Outside the band, the guitarist performed with Jean-Luc Ponty, Joe Zawinul, and Jeff Berlin while pursuing his affinity for blues, rock, and funk through solo projects including Tore Down House in 1997, which featured Thelma Houston, and Vibe Station in 2015. Beginning in 2019, he formed a trio with drummer Archibald Ligonnière and bassist Romain Labaye, resulting in the albums People Mover and Karnevel!.
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1954, Henderson took up the guitar during his youth under the inspiration of Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jimmy Page, yet soon shifted his focus toward jazz. Following high school he enrolled at Florida Atlantic University, then relocated to Los Angeles to study with Joe Diorio at the Guitar Institute of Technology. There he deepened his jazz vocabulary through the influence of John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and the propulsive 1960s recordings of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Although he performed in various rock and covers groups, by the mid-1980s Henderson was attracting notice within the jazz community through collaborations with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and bassist Jeff Berlin. During the same period he co-founded the progressive fusion band Tribal Tech with bassist Gary Willis, producing Spears in 1985, Dr. Hee in 1987, and Nomad in 1988.
Beyond Tribal Tech, Henderson served as a sideman with Chick Corea’s original Elektric Band and as a member of Weather Report keyboardist Joe Zawinul’s Syndicate. He rejoined Tribal Tech for their self-titled third album in 1991, the same year Guitar World magazine named him top jazz guitarist. Subsequent Tribal Tech recordings included Illicit in 1992 and Reality Check in 1994.
Henderson launched his solo career with Dog Party in 1994, an album that highlighted his affinity for blues, rock, and funk. Tore Down House appeared two years later. He next joined bassist Victor Wooten and drummer Steve Smith for the trio project Vital Tech Tones, whose sequel arrived in 2000. He returned to Tribal Tech for Thick in 1999 and Rocket Science in 2000 before the group disbanded. His first post-Tribal Tech solo album, the blues-oriented Well to the Bone, surfaced in 2002 and featured drummer Kirk Covington, bassist John Humphrey, and vocalists Wade Durham and Thelma Houston.
In 2012 Henderson reunited with longtime colleagues bassist Jeff Berlin and drummer Dennis Chambers for the trio album HBC, which they also toured, and simultaneously reconvened Tribal Tech for X. The expansive Vibe Station followed in 2015, showcasing bassist Travis Carlton and drummer Alan Hertz. Alongside performing, Henderson began teaching at the Guitar Institute of Technology and issued several instructional videos. In 2019 he released People Mover, spotlighting his trio with drummer Archibald Ligonnière and bassist Romain Labaye; the same lineup delivered Karnevel! in 2024.
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1954, Henderson took up the guitar during his youth under the inspiration of Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, and Jimmy Page, yet soon shifted his focus toward jazz. Following high school he enrolled at Florida Atlantic University, then relocated to Los Angeles to study with Joe Diorio at the Guitar Institute of Technology. There he deepened his jazz vocabulary through the influence of John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and the propulsive 1960s recordings of Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Although he performed in various rock and covers groups, by the mid-1980s Henderson was attracting notice within the jazz community through collaborations with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and bassist Jeff Berlin. During the same period he co-founded the progressive fusion band Tribal Tech with bassist Gary Willis, producing Spears in 1985, Dr. Hee in 1987, and Nomad in 1988.
Beyond Tribal Tech, Henderson served as a sideman with Chick Corea’s original Elektric Band and as a member of Weather Report keyboardist Joe Zawinul’s Syndicate. He rejoined Tribal Tech for their self-titled third album in 1991, the same year Guitar World magazine named him top jazz guitarist. Subsequent Tribal Tech recordings included Illicit in 1992 and Reality Check in 1994.
Henderson launched his solo career with Dog Party in 1994, an album that highlighted his affinity for blues, rock, and funk. Tore Down House appeared two years later. He next joined bassist Victor Wooten and drummer Steve Smith for the trio project Vital Tech Tones, whose sequel arrived in 2000. He returned to Tribal Tech for Thick in 1999 and Rocket Science in 2000 before the group disbanded. His first post-Tribal Tech solo album, the blues-oriented Well to the Bone, surfaced in 2002 and featured drummer Kirk Covington, bassist John Humphrey, and vocalists Wade Durham and Thelma Houston.
In 2012 Henderson reunited with longtime colleagues bassist Jeff Berlin and drummer Dennis Chambers for the trio album HBC, which they also toured, and simultaneously reconvened Tribal Tech for X. The expansive Vibe Station followed in 2015, showcasing bassist Travis Carlton and drummer Alan Hertz. Alongside performing, Henderson began teaching at the Guitar Institute of Technology and issued several instructional videos. In 2019 he released People Mover, spotlighting his trio with drummer Archibald Ligonnière and bassist Romain Labaye; the same lineup delivered Karnevel! in 2024.
Albums
