“What struck me about Bar Scott’s music is the power of her voice. It just lights up the soul and chases away the crud that’s been building up in there for years.”

 Jon Pope – The Ripple Effect

 

Her voice is the kind you hear in a dream…her honesty is shocking…her songs contain an essential core that she offers you in a crystal glass…magic.”

 Mark Morganstern, owner of the Rosendale Cafe, Rosendale, NY

 

 

My resume is deep, my bio long. Here's a list of a few of the many venues I’ve sung in that are most memorable for me. Scroll further if you want a fuller picture.

 

Levon Helm’s Mid-night Ramble in Woodstock, NY
I got lucky and we played our hearts out.

Cathedral at St John the Divine, NYC
several times, but in particular the New Year’s Eve Peace Concert
with Judy Collins and John Pizzarelli, 2007

Beacon Theater, NYC,
Voices of Inspiration
with Phoebe Snow, Beth Nielsen-Chapman,
and Delores Holmes (Bruce Springsteen band)

my favorite stages ever:
house concerts around the northeast and southeastern United  States

Woodstock Playhouse benefit for Ronald McDonald House

Bearsville Theater for KTD with Philip Glass.

Clearwater Music Festival.
We sang as the sun was setting. The view of the Hudson that night was unforgettable. More than anything I remember singing “Valentine” because someone asked me to

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
emerging artists stage. Forrest was born 18 days later.

Maverick Concert Hall, Woodstock, NY
on different nights with Perry Beekman,
Fred Hand, & Gail Godwin

Terrytown Music Hall
with Ian Anderson. A trip!

Gloversville Salon
…can’t remember the name of the venue, but it was welcoming and warm,
and the acoustics were perfect for my voice 

 

Bio:

Bar Scott has inspired listeners with the strength of her voice and the immediacy of her songs for over twenty-five years. When she sings, she digs deep and then carries her audience along with her. On stage, it’s clear that there’s no other place in the world she’d rather be. Comfortable alone at the piano, guitar or singing a capella in a great hall, Bar also loves to perform with background vocalists, a bassist or other accompaniment. With seven CDs of original songs, and four of covers in her repertoire, Bar moves comfortably from one style to the next. In the fall 2014, she’ll be releasing her seventh collection of originals, called Journey

Bar Scott is without a doubt one of the great voices on the earth,” according to Jim Croce’s producer Tommy West.

In the studio, she’s worked with, among others, bassist Tony Levin, drummer Jerry Marotta, classical guitarist Fred Hand, arranger and keyboardist David Sancious and the string quartet known as Ethel. More recently she has been working with her friends Peter Tomlinson, Lou Pappas, and Dave Cook, who have become family. 

She has performed live with many musicians including Annie Haslam, Ian Anderson, Phoebe Snow, Beth Nielsen-Chapman, Mindy Jostyn, Amy Helm, Levon Helm, Tom Chapin, Terry Blaine, Happy and Artie Traum, John Sebastian, Baird Hersey and Prana, and the Refugees. She has been an ASCAP Special Awards recipient 13 timess.

Bar owns Lucy Max Productions which came to life in Philadelphia in the ’80s. She moved to Woodstock, NY in the’90s, left for Westcliffe, Colorado in 2011, and now lives in Corvallis, Oregon. In the studio she wears many hats including writer, producer, singer, and meal-provider. She arranges and performs the harmony vocals on her studio recordings which have become a trademark of her sound.

Beneficiaries of concerts she’s done include Ronald MacDonald House, Hope’s Fund, Kodi’s Kids, AHA – Artists Helping Artists, Paca Peace Ranch, Pennypack Trust, Woodstock Land Conservancy, and many other local, environmental and social agencies that support the environment or help those in need.

Bar has received many outstanding notations including Performing Songwriter’s DIY Top 5 CDs of the Year for Parachute in 2007; one of Top 5 CDs chosen by Chuck Eliot of WXPN Radio Philadelphia for Parachute.

Noteworthy Performances

  • Woodstock Book Fest (2009 – 2020) aka: Woodstock Writers' Fest (presenter and workshop facilitator
  • Producer Wet Mountain Valley Writers’ Workshop featuring Abigail Thomas and Dorothy (2011 – 2016)
  • Two seasons of house concerts around the northern and southeastern United States (2010, 2011)
  • Maverick Concert Hall, 2012
  • Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble, 2012
  • Bard College, Olin Hall with Tom Chapin to Benefit Hudson Valley Hospice, 2009, 2008, 2007
  • Byrdcliffe Theater, Gala Concert for the Woodstock Fringe, August 2009
  • Sellersville Theater, Christmas Reunion Concert with Annie Haslam, Sellersville, PA December 2008
  • Woodstock Fringe Theater Festival, Woodstock, NY, 3 performances, August 2008
  • Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY, 2007, 2008
  • Maverick Hall with Fred Hand, Woodstock, NY 2008
  • Benefit Concert for Hope’s Fund with The Refugees, Saugerties, NY 2008
  • New Year’s Eve Peace Concert, St. John the Divine Cathedral, New York City, 2007, 2003
  • The Woodstock Guild’s Kleinert James Visiting Artist. Women in Music Series. 2007
  • Rosendale Cafe, Rosendale, NY, 2007
  • Bearsville Theater, Bearsville, NY, 2007 (with Joy Askew and Jill Stevenson)
  • Woodstock Cycle, Commission for original composition called “Big Picture”. World Premiere, October, 2005 Woodstock, NY
  • Women and Power Conference, NYC 2006.
  • Kimmel Center, Philadelphia – in celebration of the 5th year of the Kimmel Center, 2006
  • Two-River Theater, Red Bank, NJ – Headliner – Benefit Concert for Love, Inc., 2006
  • Mitchell Performing Arts Center, Huntingdon Valley, PA, 2006
  • Falcon Ridge Music Festival, Showcase Artist, 2006
  • CD101.9 FM Emerging Artist Series, New York City, Summer 2006
  • Clearwater Revival, Main Stage Artist, Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY 2004, 2006
  • Kent State University “Democracy & Arts Symposium”, May 2005
  • United Nations’ International Youth Conference, 2004
  • New Year’s Eve Peace Concert, St. John the Divine Cathedral, New York City, 2003
  • Artist in Residence with Ars Choralis & The Hudson Valley Youth Chorale, Winter 2003
  • Demo singer for Howard Shore, Lord of the Rings, “The Return of the King”, 2003
  • Featured songwriter at the Byrdcliff Barn Theater celebrating “100 Years of Great Songwriters” from Woodstock, NY
  • Beacon Theater, New York City, 2002. Headliner “Voices of Inspiration” with Phoebe Snow & Beth Nielsen-Chapman, The
  • Special guest of Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull at Tarrytown Music Hall, Nyack, NY 2003
  • Woodstock Cycle. Commission for original composition called "Wednesday" 2001
  • Woodstock Cycle, Commission for original composition called "The Road" with Robert Starar, Gail Godwin, and Steven Kitsakos. 1997

Movies that feature Bar’s Music

  • Untitled 2009, a documentary for incoming patients to the esophageal cancer clinic in Los Angeles. Song used: Instrumental version of “Sarah”
  • The Red Queen 2009, Song used: “Oh God”
  • Solitude 2009, a short film produced by Marcia Woolley. Song used: “Tree”
  • Love is the Reason 2008, Documentary Film about living with cancer. Filmmakers: Joy Hausman and Toby Carey. Songs used: “Love is the Reason”, “World on Fire”, “Tree”, and “Parachute” (Bronze Remi Award winner at the 42nd annual Houston International Film and Video Festival.
  • The Journal, Filmmaker: Thupton Nyima. Song used: “Parachute”

Recordings

You - Strings Remix (2023)
You (2022) 
Invocation - for Ukraine (2022)
3 Songs for Film (2015)
Journey (2014)
Parachute (2006)
Sweets for the Soul (2002 - live CD and Video)
Grapes and Seeds (2000)
The Road (1999)
Confession (1995)
Silence is Broken (1987)
Different Shoes (1987) not available

Albums of cover songs

A Little Dream (2007) Standards
Liturgy (2003) hymns for Olma
Great Christmas Songs to Sing Along With (with Rave Tesar, 1999) 
Great Songs to Sing Along With (traditional folk songs with Pat Bergeson, 1993) 

Commissions

  • “Walk a Mile” (2012) songs for the Walk A Mile collection released on The Music Space Label in the UK and in Europe. A project to fight bias and hate crimes
  • Woodstock Cycle Composer (1997, 2001, 2005). Composed “The Road” (a collection of 5 songs based on the Biblical story of the Road to Emmaus): “Wednesday” (a vocal quartet without accompaniment describing the sacredness of a regular day); and “The Big Picture” (piano pieces written to accompany bird photographs taken by Peter Schoenberger)
  • Moby’s Story (2008) – an Audio book for children learning to deal with Cancer. 

Reviews of Recent Albums

  • A Little Dream 
by Robert Burke Warren
 for Chronogram Magazine
February 2008 [Excerpts]
…With material that calls for a set of pipes able to convey a wide array of emotions—often over the course of a single tune—Scott excels and surprises; she can drip desire mixed with fear in the classic “You Better Go Now,” burn with self-loathing crossed with grim satisfaction in “Good Morning Heartache,” and brim with fulfillment laced with mournful resignation in “I Wish I Didn’t Love You So.” 
…It is not hard to imagine any one of the creators of these masterpieces calling Scott on a rotary phone and giving her first crack at their tune.
  • Parachute
 DIY Top 5 Picks: March/April 2007
Independant Music Editor for Performing Songwriter
 by Mare Wakefield [Excerpts]
…The record floats gracefully through the atmosphere, enveloping listeners with a silken touch and a life-supporting strength. 
…Scott’s ethereal voice invites listeners on a soulful, inspirational journey, while the stark piano accompaniment lets her lyrics shine…. 
…Parachute will set you down in a place you’ve never been before; trust us when we tell you to take the dive.
  • Parachute
 by Mike Jurkovic
for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
reprinted in Chronogram Magazine
September 2006 [Excerpts]
…Evoking a much more compelling Sarah McLachlan and the iconic Joni Mitchell (rich, organic melodies and vocal harmonies), Scott’s sixth disc weaves a sumptuous musical tapestry, each song even more beautiful than its predecessor. 
…Scott’s piano based songs become meditations on the fragile threads we consistently strain at getting from one end of the day to the next and the small beauties and great loves we miss while on that constricted, linear pursuit…. 
…Pin-pointing favorite tracks on Parachute is like shredding a whole cloth, but for those of you with short attention spans, start with the opening title track, then try the exquisite Sarah. Then program Come to Me, World on Fire and Oh God. Then be kind to yourself and let the disc play full. You’ll hear what I mean. ….
  • Parachute
 by Angie Chaney
Vision Music Group, Nashville
Root Music Report “I loved this CD. Bar Scott and Parachute would be the perfect CD to enjoy after a long stressful day, and then simply float on the easy listening melodies, touching lyrics and beautiful voice. Once I heard this CD I was an instant fan of Bar Scott.”
  • "Parachute" Bar received this assessment of her song “Parachute” from another songwriter: “Parachute” wins in multiple categories: Best vocal performance, best arrangement, best new song, most interesting allegory, most contemporary theme, bittersweet song of the year.  

 

Awards 

  •  Bronze Remi Award winner at the 42nd annual Houston International Film and Video Festival. For a film called “Love is the Reason”, which features Bar’s music. (2009)
  • Artist in Residence Ulster County Community College (2004)
  • ASCAP Special Awards Winner
  • WKZE Radio Top Ten Regional Release Sweets for the Soul (2002)
  • Chosen by WKZE to join Ian Anderson in concert at Tarrytown Music Hall, NY (2002)

 

Bar Scott - Singer, songwriter, and writer, was born Barbara Louise Scott. Legend has it that she was called Bar from her earliest days because of a doll named Barbora. Her four older sisters were prone to chucking poor Barbora down the stairs or tattooing her with black and blue Bic pens. Bar's mother worried the older Scott girls might subject Bar to the same treatment because of her close-sounding name, so she called her Bar instead. As Bar became more serious about a musical career, she debated the name Bar Scott. It wasn't beautiful, she thought, perhaps she should call herself something else. She experimented with Barb, and Barr, she even tried Louise, Eli, and Liz. In the end, though, what felt most comfortable was her real name: Bar. 

     Bar has recorded seven albums of original songs, including: Journey (2014), Parachute (2006), Grapes and Seeds (2000), confession (1995), Silence is Broken (1992) Sweets for the Soul (2002 - a live recording) and different shoes (1987, and never widely released). She has also recorded a collection of standards, A Little Dream (2007), Christmas songs (2003), folk songs (1992) and Hymns (2005). Her book, The Present Giver, a memoir, was published in 2011. The audio version of The Present Giver was released in 2016. 

     Bar has recorded or performed with: Mindy Jostyn, Tony Levin, Larry Fast, Dave Cook, Annie Haslam, Rave Tesar, Kirsti Gholson, Fred Hand, David Sancious, Eric Gunnison, Mark Simon, Paul Romaine, Donald Fagen, Phoebe Snow, Beth Nielsen-Chapman, Judy Collins, Ian Anderson, Amy Helm, and Levon Helm. Her favorites, though, are Peter Tomlinson and Lou Pappas who she's done multiple recordings with. She engineers, records, and edits most of her vocals and piano, but leans on engineer Dave Cook for the heavy lifting. 

     Bar spent most of her professional life in Woodstock, NY and New York City. She is 64-years old at the time of this writing, which is to say, she's transitioning from on-the-road musician to staying-at-home musician. She gives concerts every so often now mostly on the Steinway in her own living room. Some of her favorite gigs have been in living rooms, but she has also sung at St John the Divine Cathedral in NYC, Tarrytown Music Hall, Saturday Night Ramble with Levon Helm, The Woodstock Playhouse, The Beacon Theater with Phoebe Snow and Beth Nielsen-Chapman, and one of the most powerful in the pit at Ground Zero, NYC, with Delores Holmes. Bar and Delores (of Springsteen fame) sang Bar's "Grace" with Delores's sisters for rescue workers who only days before had finished their difficult work there.