Cigar Box Scott - Blues Press Kit

WHERE COUNTRY AND BLUES MEET: Scott wraps traditional blues, old-time, and folk songs in driving, crowd-pleasing rhythms

As Cigar Box Scott, Scott Atkinson presents traditional and classic American blues and roots music in a completely new way. With strong rhythms and a driving beat, he takes songs that form the foundation of the blues and gives them new life, making them accessible for audiences of all types on cigar box guitar and his homemade foot stompbox percussion.

The cigar box guitar brings the songs to life: Think ‘‘Banjo-meets-Delta-blues-guitar'‘

Many American roots songs came up through both country and blues traditions. Scott takes the cigar box guitar and blends those roots together to reinvent these old songs.

A longtime folkie and musician, when Scott got his hands on a cigar box guitar for the first time, it changed everything. “I could finally play these old songs the way I’ve always wanted.” Old songs get new rhythms, chords, and sometimes completely new melodies.

Deep Appreciation for the music and a commitment to Fun

Although his love for the tradition is deep, Scott’s #1 goal is for everyone to have fun. Blues and roots music should be fun, not academic. A Cigar Box Scott set is full of high energy songs and a bit of humor.

Scott worked at iconic folk music journal Sing Out! Magazine from 2000 - 2006. He is also the author The Essential Bluegrass & Old-Time Songbook, a collection of 50 traditional songs for jamming and song circles with melodies, chords, lyrics, and stories and background. He has several other songbooks of traditional songs planned.