The Scott Moore Band is groundbreaking Kentucky rock-n-roll: blurring the lines between acoustic and electric back porch folk, contemporary music, and vintage rock, it's a combustible mix of violin pyrotechnics, twangy guitar chimings, vocal harmonies, original songwriting, creative arrangements, wild improvisation, and grooves guaranteed to put a wiggle in your middle.
Scott Moore (violin, guitars, lead vox) was born and came of age in rural Kentucky. He began his career as a violinist and composer as a four-year-old in New York. He's been a soloist with a number of fine orchestras, played Mozart for the Archduke of Austria, and given an impromptu recital in Carnegie Hall for an audience of ghosts. He's been an organic farmer and a professional driver, learned fiddle tunes from old-timers in the hills of eastern Kentucky, drunk bourbon with rock stars on a steam-powered riverboat, and played music on four continents.
"Staggeringly versatile and gifted" (LEO Weekly), he has built a formidable reputation for "skillful and inventive fiddle playing" (Country Music People) and a "stand-out" (Wildy's World) approach to a variety of genres—both alone and in collaboration with peers including the 23 String Band, Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy), Houndmouth, Rachel Grimes, Ben Sollee, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Waxfang, Tyler Ramsey (Band of Horses), James Lindsey, Dawn Landes, Daniel Martin Moore, Teddy Abrams, Basia Bulat, Jenna Dean, Shannon Wright, Jason Sellards (Scissor Sisters), the Louisville Orchestra, the Louisville Ballet, and countless others.
Recent seasons trace a rising tide, with appearances running the gamut from contemporary classical to rock, jazz, bluegrass, and beyond. These include a handful of solo engagements with the Louisville Orchestra, and extensive collaboration with LO music director Teddy Abrams, who hails Scott’s “great talent and inventiveness…virtuosic musicianship with a powerful, compelling sound.” Ongoing work with pianist-composer Rachel Grimes includes several albums and performances like WNYC’s Soundcheck, NPR’s Performance Today, and Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival (opening for the Kronos Quartet). Scott briefly toured as concertmaster of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players. As a longtime member of the 23 String Band, he performed across the country as a crowd favorite at festivals like Rockygrass, Grey Fox, ROMP, Forecastle, Festival of the Bluegrass, and many more. Since 2016, he has produced three original scores for new works in association with the Louisville Ballet and choreographer Roger Creel, composing, performing, and recording the music for William’s Folly, Lady Lear, and Tempest. As of 2018, he began performing, from memory, the complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin by J. S. Bach—nearly three hours of some of the most incredible music ever conceived.
He makes his home in Louisville, home of Hunter S. Thompson, where he climbs trees, dabbles in yoga, and routinely breaks the speed limit—on his bicycle. When not practicing, writing, recording, cooking, or sleeping, you may find him playing basketball or tinkering with a 1968 Triumph Bonneville.
Scott is proud to play a Barry Dudley five-string into his Top Hat Club Royale combo.
Scott met Charlie Patton (guitar, cello, vocal harmonies) at a classical summer camp in Tennessee in 2004 or 2005—the cello player playing mandolin backstage before a concert. Later they were roommates in college, enjoyed many a back porch hang, went separate ways as many years passed, and were brought back together by fate and a mutual love for music and music-making. You may see Charlie ripping the electric guitar in the band, but he's still an excellent cellist, too.
Seth Folsom (bass, vocal harmonies) and Scott got acquainted after both finished music school. Seth had studied composition in Sweden, gotten into oldtime folk music, made banjos for Bela Fleck, and toured with the Crooked Jades. Scott had played the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and a heavy senior recital, only to immediately step out of classical music and onto an organic farm, with a new interest in roots—musical, cultural, ecological. Soon they were playing fiddle and banjo tunes, old country and blues, and 1930s Louisville jug band music, with the Jawbones. They even made a record. And then Scott got busy with the 23 String Band, and Seth did other stuff, and that was that. For a while . . . until Seth traded his jug for a j-bass. . . .
Scott and Neil Lucas (drums) grew up ten minutes from each other, out in the country in Breckinridge County. They had many of the same teachers and knew some of the same kids. Then they both ended up in Louisville, playing in various bands, a couple of which became pretty popular: the Pass, and the 23 String Band. And yet, they never met until the dress rehearsal for their first show together, a Louisville Concerto afterparty on Teddy Abrams' back porch. The hang was fun, the gig was awesome, a band was born.
“The Scott Moore Band captures a unique blend—a real rock and roll ensemble featuring virtuosic musicianship with a powerful, compelling sound. Fronted by the versatile and talented violinist, singer, and composer Scott Moore, the band uses its electric string orchestration in very creative ways; the diversity of the musicians’ backgrounds adds layers of complexity and musicality. Knowing Scott’s great talent and inventiveness, this is a band to follow right now!”
“We’ve been huge 23 String Band fans for the last few years, and were surprised and saddened to hear that they were disbanding, but hopeful that this would lead to exciting new projects for the band members. Fiddler Scott Moore has been on his game, forming a new roots rock band. Scott leads on vocals and while his talent on guitar is obvious, we prefer the beautiful sound when he destroys the fiddle. There’s really nothing like it. We give the Scott Moore Band a thumbs up and wish them the best of luck with their new endeavors.”