Kermit Scott (musician) Kermit Scott (musician) Kermit "Scotty" Scott (died February 2, 2002) was a jazz tenor saxophonist. Dizzy Gillespie considered Scott “one of the founders of our music” [bop]. Born in Beaumont, Texas, Scott's first professional work was with Bunk Johnson's band before touring with other jazz bands and minstrel shows, eventually arriving in New York in 1936. In 1940 he played in two different line-ups backing Billie Holiday at recording sessions in New York for Columbia. The first, on February 29, featured Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Carl Frye and Jimmy Powell on alto saxophones, Scott on tenor saxophone, Sonny White on
Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie and his Rebop Six, which included Parker, started an extended gig at Billy Berg's club in Los Angeles in December 1945. Reception was mixed and the band broke up. In February 1946 he signed a contract with Bluebird, gaining the distribution power of RCA for his music. He and his big band headlined the 1946 film "Jivin' in Be-Bop". After his work with Parker, Gillespie led other small combos (including ones with Milt Jackson, John Coltrane, Lalo Schifrin, Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke, James Moody, J.J. Johnson, and Yusef Lateef) and put together his successful big bands starting in