Cindy Scott

Born into a family of musicians, American jazz vocalist Cindy Scott initially chose the flute and secured a scholarship to Louisiana State University, though she had not envisioned a performing career for herself. Caught between music and business interests, she relocated to Europe, where an affinity for jazz took hold. There she began singing alongside German players in after-hours cellars before heading back to Houston, balancing corporate employment with nighttime appearances at local jazz venues.

Scott issued her first recording, Major to Minor, in 2002 on Catahoula Records. The set of jazz standards featured Houston musicians who had helped shape her development through performances at the Cézanne jazz club. In 2005 she left the corporate path behind, settling in New Orleans to complete a Masters in Music in Jazz Studies. Drawing on the city’s cultural blend, she delivered her second album, Let the Devil Take Tomorrow, in 2010. The recording fused classic jazz with world-music elements, earned favorable press notices, and earned a nomination for New Orleans’ Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

In subsequent years Scott concentrated on behind-the-scenes songwriting for other artists, along with teaching and touring, until returning to the studio in 2013 to produce her third album, supported directly by contributions from her listeners.