Album Notes

All but three cuts of the NOEL SCOTT QUARTET CD were recorded in concert before a crowd of 4,000 during an Independence Day celebration in Parkville, MO, (a popular destination outside Kansas City) known for music festivals.

Many of Scott’s fans herald the spontaneity and energy of this CD as some of his most interesting work. This is the earliest documentation of his quartet’s work, and its recording was largely due to fate. The concert recording was not planned, but using a digital recorder that was plugged into the master mixing board the sound engineer produced the remarkable result.

The morning of the concert brought torrential rain that soaked the field in front of the stage. The mud kept the majority of spectators at some distance, greatly reducing the recorded crowd noise. The steamy, blistering heat during the July concert may have contributed to the tone of the solos, but it didn’t reduce the intensity of the musicians. Drummer Terry Hughes (Jay McShann’s road drummer) took an unrehearsed vocal on “I Thought About You” surprising Noel and the rest of the group who quickly fell into the mood of the improvisation. As darkness began to fall, some cuts, notably “When I Fall In Love” captured the sound of the crowd’s own fireworks. A few listeners to the CD have thought the fireworks’ reports were dubbed in for effect, but they actually happened just as recorded!

If you enjoy the uniqueness of live recordings, you are sure to find the NOEL SCOTT QUARTET CD a must-have for your collection.