Scott Bomar
Encyclopedia
Scott Bomar is a Memphis-based musician, Emmy Award winning film composer, Grammy nominated music producer, and recording engineer.
Following the release of Kings of the Strip, Impala toured relentlessly, appearing at a slew of garage rock festivals (including Garage Shock, Sleezefest, Crap Out, and Dixie Fried) and alongside guitar legends Dick Dale and Davie Allen and the Arrows.
Over the past decade, Impala has been featured on numerous occasions in film and on television, most notably for their arrangement of Henry Mancini's "Experiment in Terror," which appeared in the Chuck Barris biopic Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
. The band's current lineup includes trumpeter/keyboardist, former Bobby "Blue" Bland sideman, and Bo-Keys member Marc Franklin.
, Eddie Floyd
, William Bell
, Sun Records pioneer Rosco Gordon
, and Motown session guitarist Dennis Coffey
, both in studio session and on the road.
In 1998, he formed The Bo-Keys
, a Memphis soul/funk group featuring former Stax/Volt, Hi Records and Isaac Hayes session players Skip Pitts
, Howard Grimes
and Ben Cauley.
Following the success of The Bo-Keys' critically acclaimed album, The Royal Sessions, Bomar was asked to serve as assistant engineer on Al Green
's comeback album, I Can't Stop, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2003. In 2005, Scott re-joined producer Willie Mitchell
to record Al Green's Everything's Okay.
In 2005, The Bo-Keys performed on the film and soundtrack for Hustle & Flow
as well as the Paramount/Nickelodeon animated feature Barnyard, directed by Bob Oedekirk. Three years later, they appeared in the film Soul Men, performing on-screen with Samuel L. Jackson
and Bernie Mack. The group also added three songs to the film's soundtrack (produced by Bomar), including Anthony Hamilton
's "Soul Music," which was nominated for a Grammy in 2009.
The Bo-Keys have performed at various festivals, including multiple appearances at The Ponderosa Stomp, London’s Barbican Performing Arts Centre, and Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Nights Swing Series.
's award-winning film, Hustle & Flow
. Touted as Memphis soul meets hip hop, Bomar's work on the film has received much critical acclaim.
Bomar's collaboration with Brewer continued in 2006 when he served as Executive Music Producer and Composer for the film Black Snake Moan
. In preparation for the recording process, Bomar took Brewer and lead actor Samuel L. Jackson
on a road trip through Mississippi, during which the trio met with a slew of blues musicians, working to parlay classics like "Stackolee" and "Black Snake Moan" into modern sinister laments. Upon returning to the studio, Bomar enlisted musicians rooted in Memphis, including harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite, and The North Mississippi Allstars, the contemporary blues/rock group of Jim Dickinson
and his sons Luther and Cody. He was later joined by the stars of the film, Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci
, to record songs subsequently performed on screen.
Bomar served as producer with Brewer on the MTV New Media series "$5 COVER" in 2009.
In 2010, he co-produced and engineered Cyndi Lauper
’s Memphis Blues at his Memphis studio, Electraphonic Recording. The album spent 13 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Blues chart and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.
Bomar serves as President of the Memphis Chapter of NARAS.
Bomar returned to film in 2010 as Producer/Composer of the soundtrack for Losers Take All(currently in post production), which was recorded at his Electraphonic studio.
Early years
A native of Memphis, Bomar was introduced to music at an early age, aided by his mother's record collection and regular exposure to Memphis' legendary musicians.Impala
Bomar's music career began in the early 1990s. Impala, consisting of guitarist John Stivers, saxophonist Justin Thompson, drummer Jeff Goggans, and Bomar on bass, gained national prominence on the strength of their debut album, El Rancho Reverbo, co-produced by Roland Janes. They signed with Estrus Records.Following the release of Kings of the Strip, Impala toured relentlessly, appearing at a slew of garage rock festivals (including Garage Shock, Sleezefest, Crap Out, and Dixie Fried) and alongside guitar legends Dick Dale and Davie Allen and the Arrows.
Over the past decade, Impala has been featured on numerous occasions in film and on television, most notably for their arrangement of Henry Mancini's "Experiment in Terror," which appeared in the Chuck Barris biopic Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a 2002 biographical spy film depicting the life of popular game show host and producer Chuck Barris, who claimed to have also been an assassin for the Central Intelligence Agency...
. The band's current lineup includes trumpeter/keyboardist, former Bobby "Blue" Bland sideman, and Bo-Keys member Marc Franklin.
The Bo-Keys and Al Green
Bomar gained individual prominence playing bass for legendary Stax artists such as Rufus and Carla ThomasRufus Thomas
Rufus Thomas, Jr. was an American rhythm and blues, funk and soul singer and comedian fromMemphis, Tennessee, who recorded on Sun Records in the...
, Eddie Floyd
Eddie Floyd
Eddie Lee Floyd is an American soul/R&B singer and songwriter, best known for his work on the Stax record label in the 1960s and 1970s and the song "Knock on Wood".-Biography:...
, William Bell
William Bell
-Musicians:* William Bell * William Bell * William Henry Bell , composer -Politicians:* Dr. William Bell , founder of Manitou Springs, Colorado...
, Sun Records pioneer Rosco Gordon
Rosco Gordon
Rosco Gordon was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known for his 1952 #1 R&B hit single, "Booted", and two #2 singles "No More Doggin'" and "Just a Little Bit" .-Biography:...
, and Motown session guitarist Dennis Coffey
Dennis Coffey
Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.-Biography:Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City...
, both in studio session and on the road.
In 1998, he formed The Bo-Keys
The Bo-Keys
The Bo-Keys are a soul/jazz band from Memphis, Tennessee, formed as an homage to the city's rich musical tradition.-History:In 1998, Scott Bomar was asked to assemble a backing band for former Stax artist and songwriter Sir Mack Rice...
, a Memphis soul/funk group featuring former Stax/Volt, Hi Records and Isaac Hayes session players Skip Pitts
Charles Pitts
Charles "Skip" Pitts is an American soul / blues guitarist whose distinctive "wah-wah" style can be heard on Isaac Hayes' title track from the 1971 movie Shaft....
, Howard Grimes
Howard Grimes
Howard Lee Grimes is an American drummer, best known as a member of the Hi Rhythm Section on records by Al Green, Ann Peebles and others in the 1970s....
and Ben Cauley.
Following the success of The Bo-Keys' critically acclaimed album, The Royal Sessions, Bomar was asked to serve as assistant engineer on Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
's comeback album, I Can't Stop, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2003. In 2005, Scott re-joined producer Willie Mitchell
Willie Mitchell
Willie Mitchell is the name of:*Willie Mitchell , , musician and record producer*Willie Mitchell , MLB player*Willie Mitchell , NHL player...
to record Al Green's Everything's Okay.
In 2005, The Bo-Keys performed on the film and soundtrack for Hustle & Flow
Hustle & Flow
Hustle & Flow is a 2005 independent drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton. Terrence Howard stars as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper...
as well as the Paramount/Nickelodeon animated feature Barnyard, directed by Bob Oedekirk. Three years later, they appeared in the film Soul Men, performing on-screen with Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
and Bernie Mack. The group also added three songs to the film's soundtrack (produced by Bomar), including Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton or Antony Hamilton may refer to:*Anthony Hamilton , Irish classical author, of aristocratic Scottish ancestry, who lived in France where he was known as Antoine Hamilton; intimate of French aristocracy, he wrote, in French, Mémoires du comte de Gramont *Anthony Hamilton , English...
's "Soul Music," which was nominated for a Grammy in 2009.
The Bo-Keys have performed at various festivals, including multiple appearances at The Ponderosa Stomp, London’s Barbican Performing Arts Centre, and Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Nights Swing Series.
Collaborations with Craig Brewer
In 2005, Bomar composed the score for Craig BrewerCraig Brewer
Craig Brewer is an American film director and screenwriter. His 2005 movie Hustle & Flow won the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and achieved commercial success, along with an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp".- Life and career :Hustle & Flow...
's award-winning film, Hustle & Flow
Hustle & Flow
Hustle & Flow is a 2005 independent drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton. Terrence Howard stars as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper...
. Touted as Memphis soul meets hip hop, Bomar's work on the film has received much critical acclaim.
Bomar's collaboration with Brewer continued in 2006 when he served as Executive Music Producer and Composer for the film Black Snake Moan
Black Snake Moan
Black Snake Moan is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer. It was filmed in and around Stanton, Tennessee, and stars Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake...
. In preparation for the recording process, Bomar took Brewer and lead actor Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
on a road trip through Mississippi, during which the trio met with a slew of blues musicians, working to parlay classics like "Stackolee" and "Black Snake Moan" into modern sinister laments. Upon returning to the studio, Bomar enlisted musicians rooted in Memphis, including harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite, and The North Mississippi Allstars, the contemporary blues/rock group of Jim Dickinson
Jim Dickinson
James Luther "Jim" Dickinson was an American record producer, pianist, and singer who fronted, among others, the Memphis based band, Mudboy & The Neutrons.- Biography :...
and his sons Luther and Cody. He was later joined by the stars of the film, Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci is an American actress. Ricci received initial recognition and praise as a child star for her performance as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values , and her role as Kat Harvey in Casper...
, to record songs subsequently performed on screen.
Bomar served as producer with Brewer on the MTV New Media series "$5 COVER" in 2009.
Recent Accomplishment Notes
Bomar recently won an Emmy for "Best Original Music" for the documentary, I Am a Man: From Memphis, A Lesson in Life.In 2010, he co-produced and engineered Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
’s Memphis Blues at his Memphis studio, Electraphonic Recording. The album spent 13 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Blues chart and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.
Bomar serves as President of the Memphis Chapter of NARAS.
Bomar returned to film in 2010 as Producer/Composer of the soundtrack for Losers Take All(currently in post production), which was recorded at his Electraphonic studio.
Filmography (Partial)
- Losers Take All (2011), Composer
- I am a Man: From Memphis a Lesson in Life (2009), Composer and Main Title Producer for “I am a Man” // EMMY WINNER
- $5 Cover: Memphis (2009), Producer and Composer
- Soul Men (2008), Producer on “Private Number,” “Memphis Train,” and “Soul Music”
- Gospel Hill (2008), Composer and Music Supervisor
- Black Snake Moan (2007), Executive Music Producer/Composer
- Barnyard: The Original Party Animals (2006), Producer on "Kick It"
- Hustle & Flow (2005), Composer - Original Score
- Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Producer on "Experiment in Terror"
Discography (Partial)
- The City Champs, The Set-Up - Producer and Engineer (Electraphonic Records)
- Cyndi Lauper, Memphis Blues - Producer and Engineer (Downtown Records) // GRAMMY NOMINATED
- The City Champs, The Safecracker - Producer and Engineer (Electraphonic Records)
- Jay Reatard, Watch Me Fall - Engineer on “I’m Watching You” (Matador Records)
- Soul Men: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Producer on “Private Number,” “Memphis Train,” and “Soul Music” (Stax/Concord Records) // GRAMMY NOMINATED
- Black Snake Moan: Music From the Motion Picture - Soundtrack Album Producer (New West Records)
- The Bo-Keys, The Royal Sessions - Producer and Mixing (Electraphonic Records) // W.C. HANDY AWARD NOMINATED
- Calvin Newborn, Newborn - Producer and Mixing (Yellowdog Records)
- Al Green, Everything's OK - Assistant Engineer (Blue Note Records) // GRAMMY NOMINATED
- Al Green, I Can't Stop - Assistant Engineer (Blue Note Records)
- Mark Lemhouse, Big Lonesome Radio - Producer and Mixing (Yellow Dog Records) // W.C. HANDY AWARD NOMINATED
See also
- Beifuss, John. "Movie with the Memphis Sound," The Commercial Appeal, 3 April 2008.
- Callaghan, Dylan. "Up and Coming Composers," The Hollywood Reporter, 19 April 2005.
- Donahue, Michael. "Moan Music Man," The Commercial Appeal, 21 October 2005.
- Lisle, Andria. "Sam in the Studio," The Memphis Flyer, 7 September 2005.
- Lisle, Andria. "Two Worlds Collide," The Memphis Flyer, 4 November 2005.
- Mehr, Bob. "South by Southwest: Tennessee Heats Up Texas," The Commercial Appeal, 13 March 2008.
- Morris, Chris. "Brewer's Moan Howls North Mississippi Blues," The Hollywood Reporter, 30 November 2006.
- Olsen, Mark. "Back to Memphis, This Time Making the City Moan," The New York Times, 11 February 2007.
- Scott Bomar - Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093540/