“The Devil may take tomorrow, but – judging from this recording – Cindy Scott clearly owns today.”
  – Dan Bilawski  AllAboutJazz.com (CLICK HERE for the full review.)

“There really isn't a bad or average tune on this album. Cindy's great voice, the flawless production and an amazing band makes this CD a must for any jazz conossieur. Without a doubt a 5/5.”
  – A. Dorian  HoustonMusicReviews.com (CLICK HERE for the full review.)

“This album triumphs because of Scott’s strengths...she has the serious jazz chops that enable her to improvise on a dime on whatever chord changes are thrown her way… the highest praise of all, she really doesn't sound like anyone else.”
  – Tom McDermott  Offbeat Magazine (CLICK HERE for the full review.)

“This is one of the best recordings to come out of New Orleans in a long time. I can’t stop listening to it. Great performances by all, and beautifully produced. I LOVE IT!”
  – Harold Battiste  producer, composer, arranger (Ellis Marsalis, Sam Cooke, Sonny & Cher)

“Cindy Scott has a shimmering, crystalline voice, reminiscent of early Linda Ronstadt. Her song choices are interesting and she possesses a gift for interpreting lyrics with heart and wisdom. Cindy’s new CD, Let the Devil Take Tomorrow, is a must buy for anyone who loves good singers.”
  – Roseanna Vitro  jazz vocalist and veteran recording artist

“Cindy Scott’s golden sound comes out loud and clear on her new Let the Devil Take Tomorrow. Her players and arrangements are first rate and that great, funky New Orleans feel is joyously apparent. I love her originals and pop sense, and spiced throughout are tried and true (jazz) standards with a fresh new take, even a Brazilian tune sung beautifully.”
  – Karrin Allyson  three-time Grammy Nominee

“Singer Cindy Scott and her colleagues deliver a first-rate set with Let the Devil Take Tomorrow which features hip, well-executed arrangements throughout and a piece of musical alchemy in their reinvention of the David Gates and Bread early 70's hit If that is near about worth the price of admission by itself.”
  – Fred Kasten  WWNO Radio, New Orleans’ NPR Station

“New Orleans belle, Cindy Scott breaks free of the pack with this new recording full of stanky grooves and a spanking rhythm section!”
  – Kellye Gray  Jazz Vocalist, veteran recording artist

“From the performances to the production and the artwork, Let the Devil Take Tomorrow is a work of perfection!”
  – Steve Masakowski  Blue Note Recording Artist, Guitarist, Astral Project, Dianne Reeves, Bobby McFerrin, Rick Margitza

“It’s a really beautiful CD.”
  – Ed Petersen  Saxophonist, Kurt Elling, Irma Thomas, Chet Baker, Frank Mantooth

“The new CD sounds - and LOOKS - fabulous!!! Congratulations!!!”
  – Jo Lawry  Vocalist with Sting, Fred Hersch, Kate McGarry

“It’s really nice, great job and kudos!! I like that you took that Gulf Coast sound, NOLA and the Mississippi Delta thing Cassandra Wilson does, and made it your own (particularly on tracks like Kiss of Fire, You’ve Got a Hold, etc.)”
  – Andrew Lienhard  jazzhouston.com

On Let the Devil Take Tomorrow, her second release, Cindy Scott delivers. With a blend of original tunes and unique arrangements of jazz and not-so-jazz standards, Cindy casts a spell on listeners. Listen casually and you’ll hear the beautiful voice and sophisticated styling of an accomplished jazz singer. Listen more closely and you’ll experience Cindy’s varied influences, rich life experience, and a subtle story-telling that is all her own.

Cindy’s 2002 debut Major to Minor prompted Robert A. Lindquist (Singer Magazine) to write “This is an excellent collection of jazz favorites done remarkably well." On her new CD, Let the Devil Take Tomorrow, Cindy adds to her straight-ahead palette with colors drawn from the music of New Orleans (where she has lived since early 2005), her Southern roots, and the music she listened to in her youth. Scott worked closely with producer and guitarist Brian Seeger, who deftly infused the recordings with his own personality. “A certain synergy comes out of good collaboration,” notes Cindy. “I have loved working with Brian, and I know the music of this project reflects that.” About Cindy’s singing, Karrin Allyson, four-time Grammy nominee, says “Beautiful pitch, great time (which I believe is almost everything)…you also sound so natural, great voice!”

What unfolds is pure magic, from the opening Smokey Robinson classic, Youve Really Got a Hold on Me, reinvented over a deep New Orleans groove (with a blazing solo by Ed Petersen and his big Chicago tenor sound), to the sweet and passionate closing, I’ll Be Seeing You (a showcase piece for Gary Burton alum Vadim Neselovskyi’s piano finesse). In between, Cindy explores a diverse collection: Bread’s classic 70’s pop tune If (spiced with improvised interplay between vocals and melodica, and Geoff Clapp’s Eastern-tinged percussion); You Don’t Know What Love Is (a piano-voice duet with a marvelously inspired soli section); a dramatic rendition of Hank Williams’ I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You) (made whole by Seeger’s spatial pedal steel guitar); the 80’s Brazilian pop tune Obsession (with full blown solos by Scott and Neselovskyi); Beatriz (note Cindy’s impressive phrasing in Portuguese and Seeger’s exquisite acoustic guitar work), Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps (a fun track with a Beatnik ambience set up masterfully by bassist Tommy Sciple and percussionist James Shipp); and Kiss of Fire (a smoldering rocked-out rendering with a sly nod to Pink Floyd’s Money), the piece that lent its lyric to the title of this project.

Let the Devil Take Tomorrow also treats us to some of Cindy’s own compositions and lyrics. In The Boy Can Play (featuring Geoff Clapp’s second line drumming and Cindy’s lyrical double-entendre and references to the classic watering hole “Donna’s” and “Congo Square”) joyfully captures the essence of New Orleans. Let This Love Last, with more virtuosic playing by Neselovoskyi, tells the story of new and passionate love. Seeger’s gospel-inspired Start Again not only glows from Cindy’s plaintive lyrics but also from Brian Coogan’s spectacular Sunday morning organ shouts.

Let the Devil Take Tomorrow is Cindy Scott’s eclectic tribute to intense emotion. It wonderfully weaves new and old in an exciting and definitive artistic statement. Let the Devil Take Tomorrow will be available as of November 17 via iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, the Louisiana Music Factory, and local record stores all over the US.

“I love having the freedom to make the music my own. I feel an obligation to take chances and open myself up emotionally in this art form.”
– Cindy Scott

“A record which should make anyone take notice. Congratulations.”
  – Roseanna Vitro  veteran recording artist and jazz vocalist>

“Vocalist Cindy Scott strikes gold her first time out.  Scott is a musical artist who delivers fables and stories and vignettes of life and love. But the young lady can also swing you into bad health.  Highly recommended.”
  – As reviewed by Roger Crane  AllAboutJazz.com

“Beautiful pitch, great time (which I believe is almost everything) nice players & arrangements too -very good!!! Hard to believe you've not been ‘at it’ for very long, you also sound so natural, great voice!”
  – Karrin Allyson  Concord Jazz recording artist and three-time grammy nominee

"If you dig poignant melody beautifully expressed, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" is alone worth the price of admission."
  – Frank Dorritie  two-time grammy winning producer

“The arrangements and execution are superb, as are Scott’s vocals. Scott has the potential to go from the minors to the major league.”
  – As reviewed by Timothy J. O’Brien  Houston Press

“She has the uncanny ability to mesmerize listeners with titillating displays of vocal timing and captivating nuances. Cindy utilizes her skills in a manner that clearly allows for total immersion in her music. From one track to the other, the ebb and flow of vocal jazz is clear and precise.”
  – As reviewed by Sheldon T. Nunn  JazzReview.com

“I really appreciate how rarely you get a real jazz singer these days.  I’m gonna keep playing this CD.  If you like jazz, this album is the real thing.”
  – Clif Smith  Musicologist and DJ, KPFT Pacifica Radio, Houston, Texas

“Her debut CD Major to Minor is a sterling example of a warm, sensitive vocal quality, packed with the ability to perform everything from fast scat to a sweet ballad with confidence and accuracy.  The intensity with which she feels the music comes right through the speakers to be embraced by the listener. This is an excellent collection of jazz favorites done remarkably well.”
  – As reviewed by Robert A. Lindquist  Singer Magazine

from jazzreview.com

Although the history of jazz is reflective of all the legendary figures we have come to know musically, the future of America’s music as we know it today is in the here and now. In reflecting upon the legacy left by the many voices of days gone by, we see an ever-evolving cornucopia of musicians and vocalists following in their footsteps. One such individual who is definitely making a stand on the future of jazz is Cindy Scott. By the standards set by vocalists who preceded her, this lady is truly sensational, and is well beyond the greatest of expectations.

With a style that is quite compelling and uniquely qualified to be an excellent demonstration of vocalese, Cindy Scott hits the ground running with Major to Minor, her debut release on the Catahoula Record Label. Driven by the influences of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Irving Berlin and others, Cindy Scott's music is a vocal activated sound energy ray. She has the uncanny ability to mesmerize listeners with titillating displays of vocal timing and captivating nuances. Cindy utilizes her skills in a manner that clearly allows for total immersion in her music. From one track to the other, the ebb and flow of vocal jazz is clear and precise.She also has an excellent cadre of musicians to draw upon. Through 12 songs, Major to Minor gradually becomes a heightened sensual listening experience. The CD is upbeat, subtle and rhythmically enticing, as it blows you away with varying displays of scatting and instrumental expertise.

This is Cindy Scott’s giant step forward. The natural course of events has led to the recording of Major to Minor. Professionally speaking, Cindy has a career that has included stints in Europe, master classes with notable singers such as Roseanna Vitro, Nancy King and Kevin Mahogany. She is a highly sought after singer as well, since returning to the US from Europe. Cindy Scott currently resides in Houston, Texas, where she is in great demand in the local jazz arena. Anyone experiencing the talent of this lady for the very first time or many different times, will want to experience her talent on a continual basis.

  – Sheldon T. Nunn



from AllAboutJazz.com

Houston-based vocalist Cindy Scott strikes gold her first time out. Major to Minor is an exceptional debut album, a happy collaboration between an exciting new singer and a cadre of superior jazz artists. This CD is somewhat of a culmination of material that Scott developed with pianist/arranger Gary Norian and other musicians at a steady gig they had at Cézanne, a noted Houston jazz club.

The function of sidemen, as I see it, is to stimulate, inspire, excite, push, drive, goad and coax their colleagues. And, boy, this band stimulates and pushes Scott. Their efforts, however, do not detract from nor intrude upon her vocals but, rather, enhance and embrace her performance. Norian stated, “We like to keep the integrity of the melody but (play) with some different harmonies and time signatures.” They succeed. Each arrangement is fresh, challenging, and most entertaining. Not many budding jazz vocalists could hope to have their first recording date backed by such talented musicians.

The programming is eclectic, ranging from Cole Porter (three tunes) to Ellington, Berlin and McHugh. Thankfully there are no originals, which in many cases can be uninspired. Things start off hot with some dazzling virtuosic scatting by Scott, working in unison with Woody Witt’s tenor sax on the Ellington composition It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing. Scott next lends her sunny timbre to the well-known ballad What’ll I Do, thankfully including the beautiful verse. Trumpeter Dennis Dotson takes a splendid chorus on this Irving Berlin evergreen (some of you may recall Dotson from the Woody Herman band).

If I were to pick a favorite tune from this disc, it might be Get Out of Town. Although Cole Porter wrote this tune in 4/4 time, Scott performs it in 6/8, which adds freshness to a well-worn standard. It starts out with voice and drums and gradually builds until Dotson enters on trumpet. Nature Boy may not be the best composition, but Scott‘s version adds luster to a rather uninspired melody. This Nature Boy is not just a “strange, enchanted boy” - he is a funky cat. The song builds in intensity and includes some tour de force drumming by Chuck Payne. Cindy Scott plays with time beautifully on this number.

Most singers perform the lesser-known Jimmy McHugh song I Just Found Out About Love as a jump tune, but Scott and the band decided to record it as a slow waltz. It works splendidly at this tempo and time signature. On Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, Scott shows that she can also break your heart with a slow ballad. Her easy, patient way with this Cole Porter classic is downright ecstatic. Kudos also to pianist Norian’s lovely counter melody on this cut.

Although this is Cindy Scott’s first recording, it will certainly not be her last. For she is not only an exceptional new jazz-oriented singer, she is accessible to a wide spectrum of listeners. You don’t need a degree in music to understand her singing; all you need is ears. The disc will appeal to fans who appreciate impeccable intonation, an immaculate sense of timing, and emotional interpretations of song lyrics. Scott is a musical artist who delivers fables and stories and vignettes of life and love. But the young lady can also swing you into bad health. Highly recommended.

  – Roger Crane

(HOUSTON) - October 12, 2002 - Jazz vocalist Cindy Scott will release her debut CD, Major to Minor, next month.

Grammy-nominated recording engineer Andy Bradley engineered, mixed and mastered it at SugarHill Recording Studios in Houston. “Cindy is a well-organized singer with an excellent sense of pitch and timing,” Bradley said. “She was very easy to record and a pleasure to work with.”

Scott co-produced the 12 song CD with internationally recognized jazz pianist and composer Paul English, who has performed and recorded with jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie, Arnett Cobb and David Liebman.

She worked with veteran jazz musicians on the CD, including saxophonist Woody Witt. He has shared the stage with Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker and Ray Charles. “Cindy has a pleasing, clear voice and a great ear,” Witt said. “She sings with much subtlety and pays attention to musical nuances.”

Trumpet player Dennis Dotson also played on the CD. His credits include six recordings as trumpet soloist with the Woody Herman Orchestra, playing with the Buddy Rich Orchestra and recording with David “Fathead” Newman. “Cindy is talented, idealistic and very musical,” Dotson said. “I have long considered her to be a good friend and was delighted to get to play and hang with her and the guys. It was a lot of fun.”

Other musicians on the CD are bass player Thomas Helton, drummer Chuck Payne and pianist Gary Norian.

Although it has not been officially released, Major to Minor is already receiving the approval of the jazz world. Vocalist Roseanna Vitro, who has performed and recorded with jazz legends like Eddie Gomez, Kenny Barron and Arnett Cobb, said that the CD "should make anyone take notice."

The release party for Major to Minor will be held in two parts at the Houston jazz club Ovations on Nov. 15 and 23. All of the musicians on the CD will play both nights.