Scott Henderson

by Scott Yanow
One of the finest fusion (as opposed to crossover) guitarists of the 1980s and 90s, Scott Hendersons explosive playing is often teamed up with electric bassist Gary Willis in their group Tribal Tech. Originally most influenced by rock, Henderson (who grew up in West Palm Beach, FL) played in local funk and rock bands. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles to attend the Guitar Institute of Technology, studying with Joe Diorio. After graduating, he became a teacher himself at GIT. Henderson played with Jeff Berlin and Jean-Luc Ponty, and in 1985 toured with the original version of Chick Coreas Elektric Band. During 1987-1989, he worked on and off with Joe Zawinuls Syndicate, later focusing on Tribal Tech as his main band. As a leader, Scott Henderson has recorded for Passport, Relativity, Bluemoon, Atlantic, and Zebra. Starting with 1994s Dog Party, the guitarist made a transition from the world of jazz to the blues world, where his blues-rock fusion became the primary focus of his music career. But unlike many of his blues-rock contemporaries, his music was filled with the sort of odd time signatures and unique touches that are cornerstones of his jazz work.