Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2003

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LIVE FROM NORTH SEATTLE!

Guitar wiz explores new music horizons

By CLAYTON PARK

For the past few years, Scott Law's motto has been "Have gig, will travel."

The ace guitarist/mandolin player, who makes his home in Ballard, has been constantly touring as a member of two bands: a folk/funk improvisational group called Hanuman, and Melvin Seals' Melting Pot, a band led by the longtime keyboardist for the Jerry Garcia Band.

Somehow, during all of this, Law also managed to form a band of his own, called the Scott Law Band, which boasts a virtual all-star collection of Northwest musicians including two bandmates from Hanuman: bassist Tige DeCoster and saxophonist Damien Aitken, along with Hammond B-3 organist Ron Weinstein and percussionist/drummer Will Dowd. Bassist Arne Livingston and drummer Dale Fanning, who make up the rhythm section for The Living Daylights, are also occasional members of the band.

"It's been coming together in bits and pieces the past two years ... as gigs I'd do when I was off the road," says Law of his band. "I've been catching as catch can. I don't think we've done a dozen gigs yet."

In September, the band issued its debut CD, an 8-song album titled "Scott Law Band," which features mostly live recordings (with some studio overdubs) from shows performed at The Sunset Tavern in Ballard, The Rainbow in the University District and the Owl 'N Thistle pub in Pioneer Square.

While Law has co-led bands before, this is the first band in which he is the sole leader, as well as principal songwriter and lead singer.

"I've been in cooperatives (bands in which decisions are made by a democratic vote of its members) my whole life and have succeeded fairly well in them, but also felt I'd like to be in a band where I'd have the opportunity to create music more how I feel and hear it," Law says. "But even though I tend to be driving the ship in this band, I consider the input (of the rest of the band) very important. I feel honored that musicians of this caliber would want to play with me and want to play my music."

Law describes his music as a "gumbo" of rock, funk and psychedelia with a pinch of jazz for good measure. His musical influences include Maceo Parker, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Miles Davis and the Meters, a legendary early '70s New Orleans band.

Law is a native of Glendale, Calif., who grew up in New York. As a child, he listened to a wide range of music, from Doc Watson, Johnny Cash and The Beatles to Louie Armstrong and classical, thanks to his dad's extensive record collection.

Law began playing music in the fourth grade when he took up the drums. He switched to guitar at age 14, shortly after moving to the Seattle area in 1980 when the band he joined needed someone to play lead guitar. He volunteered, even though he says: "I was awful!" He soon changed that by taking guitar lessons.

After graduating from Bellevue High School, Law moved to the University District and began attending Cornish, where he studied jazz He later transferred to the University of Washington to earn a degree in history.

In the 1980s and early '90s, he was the lead guitarist in a notable blues-rock band called Tough Mama. For the past 10 years, he has been a full-time musician, who supplements his income by teaching guitar and mandolin.

With Hanuman having officially disbanded in October (Law and some members of the band plan to continue performing together as Hanuman Collective), and the Melvin Seals' Melting Pot currently on hiatus, Law looks forward to finally having time to focus on his own band.

The Steve Law Band plans to record a studio album this coming year and to perform more gigs, including a show at The Tractor in Ballard on March 7.

Law also plans to perform an evening of blues music with friends Saturday, Jan. 11, from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., at The Rainbow in the University District. The impromptu group, which bills itself as the Harmonicasters, features Law and Forrest Gibson on electric guitars, Weinstein on organ, Livingston and Fanning on bass and drums respectively, and Grant Dermody on vocals and harmonica.

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For more information about the Scott Law Band, or to order a copy of its debut CD, visit its Web site at www.scottlawband.com.