From the Welsh mountains to Paris, a lyrical voice of modern jazz
Born into a musical family in the Welsh mountains, Tommy Scott is today one of the singular voices of European contemporary jazz: a pianist-composer whose trio blends melody, cinematic harmony and rhythmic conversation.
Training
Classically trained from early childhood, Tommy moved early towards improvisation, drawn to melody and narrative. He studied with the legendary Jason Rebello (Sting, Jeff Beck) and received guidance from American masters Joey Calderazzo and Danilo Pérez.
By sixteen, he was leading his own bands at festivals across the west of England and attracting attention from the British jazz press. The following year, he was accepted into the New England Conservatory in Boston.
The album "Going For It"
In 2020, Tommy released his debut album as a leader, "Going For It", recorded at Fieldgate Studio (Wales) with two heavyweights of the European scene: Yuri Goloubev (double bass) and Asaf Sirkis (drums).
Praised by critics — "certainly one of my best jazz albums of 2020" (Jazz Views), "a remarkable album that needs to be heard" (London Jazz News) — the record embodies his philosophy: take risks, choose forward motion, capture the conversation between musicians live in the room.
International scene and collaborations
Now based in Paris, Tommy regularly performs on the most prestigious stages: Sunset-Sunside, Duc des Lombards, Jazz Club Étoile in Paris, Pizza Express Jazz Club (Soho), Southbank Centre in London and the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
He has shared stages and studios with Jean Toussaint, Brandon Allen, Gene Calderazzo, Alex Hitchcock, Misha Mullov-Abbado, Dave O'Higgins, Rob Luft, Tom Ollendorff and Gaël Horellou. He also collaborates with Greek singer Katerina Pipili and Israeli bassist Shimon Gambourg on the acclaimed album "The Arrival".
Teaching commitment
Alongside his career as bandleader and sideman, Tommy is founder of a Paris-based jazz piano studio offering private lessons and online instruction. He also leads educational residencies and workshops on improvisation and ensemble interaction.
Bilingual French-English, he transmits an approach to the piano grounded in melodic clarity, emotional depth and narrative sense — a pedagogy aimed at children as well as advanced pianists wishing to develop their improvised voice.
Musical universe
Styles
Influences & collaborations
"I write from the edge where lyricism meets motion — where melody breathes, rhythm converses, and silence completes the story."
— Tommy Scott