SCOTT LOW

Ilooking for sales or fame.” Rather, he has relied on organic growth via various social media and music streaming platforms. And the album, in his words, was “just me, myself, and I” in the basement where he recorded the entire record. This “explosion of creativity,” which is his first Blues album, mind you, was primarily written between November and December of 2023.

Scott explains that “our body was the original instrument. And I think there’s a few instruments that get real close to that voice sound. And I think the slide guitar is one of them. It has a timbre and inflection to it that you can’t get” from other instruments. “It’s the bending of notes and the notes between the notes. You can bend notes on a guitar, but there’s limits. With a slide, I mean, I can slide seven, eight, fifteen notes! I feel like I’ve found the sound that resonated with me, but also has really been attainable to people. I’m just constantly trying to let it be organic and keep the content going to hopefully keep this record floating until I can get another one done.” n the interest of transparency I feel that it’s important to note that, prior to us sitting down for this article, Scott Low and I weren’t strangers. That is, he and I met a few years ago and we have had a couple of brief conversations a few times since. So as I prepared for this piece, I had a number of thoughts about what to ask him. But in the end, I really wanted him to feel empowered to share whatever he wanted about music and, more specifically, his most recent album, “The Appalachian Blues.” What followed was a very engaging and accessible lecture on the Blues that would be right at home in any college classroom.

Scott’s latest album is in the Top 10 of a number of music charts and has garnered attention from all over the world, including large numbers of listeners in Canada and France. And “Australia is lit,” he says as he explains his approach: “I went into it not

To get to “The Appalachian Blues” one has to acknowledge Piedmont Blues and East Coast Blues, from Doc Watson to Elizabeth Cotton to Mississippi John Hurt and beyond. Piedmont Blues is more of a “Bluegrass hybrid Blues with a different harmonic makeup than the Delta Blues that makes it’’ markedly different from what many people might perceive as being the Blues. From there, he takes me back to “the OG Delta Blues guy,” Charlie Patton. His contributions to the Blues are some of “the most insane chord changes and licks” you might ever hear. According to Scott, “he’s the complete player, the complete singer.” Among the musicians who sought him out to learn? Only legendary Bluesmen like Son House, Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf. Patton “may have shaped American music more than anyone else,” as his influence can be heard in New Orleans music, big band jazz, and all the way into music in modern day.

Towards the end of our time together, Scott shared the following: “I’m so forever grateful that music takes me to these places and the music, you know, lets me sit down and talk to you, and music has brought me so many friends. Some of my best friends are through music and fly fishing...It’s a very family vibe.”

Despite being a man with a lot to say, Scott says “I feel like a quiet person. But when it comes to art and music and fly fishing, it’s all art to me.” His passion and love for music in general is evident in many things he does, but it was his commitment to learning and sharing the history of the music he loves that will stick with me. While some might consider him an unorthodox educator, his knowledge is no less valuable than the most decorated scholar. It was a treat to spend an afternoon with him.

Want to catch Scott live? He and the various incarnations of his band, The Southern Bouillon, can be found at a variety of events in a variety of locales. He currently plays a weekly gig called “Burgers and Blues” at the Highlander Mountain House in Highlands, so make your reservation! Other upcoming live appearances can be found through his prolific use of social media.

Jonan Keeny was born in Topeka, Kansas, he got older in Berwick, Pennsylvania, and then he lived a bunch of other places. A lifelong learner and a full-time dreamer, the prospect of grand new adventures gets him out of bed in the morning, with some additional assistance from his two blonde-haired, blue-eyed alarm clocks, of course!

Jonan recently rediscovered his passion for photography, which keeps him quite busy tromping around the woods, stopping at random places on the side of the road, and uploading photos to his website, www.myworldpics.com, and his Insta, @dude4disney. When he isn’t wrangling two little boys, he’s likely hanging out with his wife, Mary Lauren, reading a book to learn something new, or dreaming of life’s next adventure and Walt Disney World. Regardless of the activity, he’s probably participating in it while wearing funky socks and a cool hat.