Scott Sharrard

Saving Grace

We Save Music

Scott Sharrard was born and raised in Michigan and attended the High School for the Arts in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He played and sang with touring musicians, when they came to town, including Clyde Stubblefield, Buddy Miles, Luther Allison and Hubert Sumlin. He and his band moved to New York City and when the band broke up he kept working. In 2011 he formed a trio with Randy Ciarlante and Bruce Katz called CKS. In 2013 he recorded as Scott Sharrard & The Brickyard Band. He is most well known however for spending a decade as the Musical Director of the Gregg Allman Band. He played guitar, wrote several songs with Allman and earned two Grammy nominations for Allman’s final studio album “Southern Blood”.

On this new album Sharrard continues to focus on the Southern sounds learned while with Allman: rock, blues, soul and classic R n’ B. Sharrard’s vocals and strong guitar work are featured on ten new songs, written or co-written by him, and one cover. The album is produced by Scott Bomar and Sharrard along with co-producer Charles A. Martinez and recorded at three studios, Bomar’s Electrophonic Recording Studio in Memphis; the 127 Studios in Harlem, N.Y. and the Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

“High Cost Of Loving You” was recorded in Memphis. It was written by Sharrard with trumpeter Marc Franklin who also wrote all of the horn arrangements. Featured are the Hi-Rhythm section of Howard Grimes, drums; Leroy Hodges, bass; and Charles Hodges, B-3 organ. The horn section is completed by Art Edmaiston, tenor sax; and Kirk Smothers, baritone sax; also featured are Eric Finland, keyboards; and Moses Patrou, percussion. Five more songs are from this session including “Angeline” and the Stax inspired tribute “Sentimental Fool” with Steve Potts replacing Grimes on drums.

“Everything A Good Man Needs” written by Gregg Allman and Sharrard is sung by Taj Mahal. It was recorded in N.Y. with drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie; Brett Bass on bass, and Pete Levin on organ. Sharrard’s slide is especially nice as is the fabulous horn arrangement.

The title track; Terry Reid’s “Faith To Arise”, “She Can’t Wait” and the beautiful “Keep Me in Your Heart” are from the Muscle Shoals session. These feature the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section a.k.a. the Swampers still featuring bassist David Hood, drummer Chad Gamble and pianist Spooner Oldham.

Sharrard dedicates this career defining album to his mentors Rick Hall, Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman.

Richard Ludmerer

[amazon_link asins=’B07G2MBYYD,B07G28BKXT,B07H4V1HG1,B0097KZNZQ,B001YJ9BBU,B000CAGLH4,B076FG42SB,B01KAT16J4′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’maasc-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d720e713-bbc1-11e8-952c-e7b48e818115′]