“At a festival FULL of guitarists (Safeway Water Front Blues Festival 2012), none played like Pemberton or was as fun to watch” Oregonian
“Virtuosic and brilliant” Glide Magazine
“Pemberton is a multi-genre master and a clever lyricist who can convey joy while digging deep.” Willamette Week.
Scott’s doing something new with the guitar, and beyond that, he’s doing something new with American music. He has his own unique flavor of Roots/Funk/Americana/Rock, and people are responding. His approach to the guitar is definitely not traditional but his virtuosity is undeniable.
Although he has supported himself with music since he was a teen, as a touring musician Scott is just a baby. He set out as a full time touring musician about a year and a half ago and things have been progressing fast. This summer he will be playing major festivals on the west coast, the east coast, and Canada with countless club dates in between—and he’s doing this without assistance from any label, management company or big booking agency. Just word of mouth, and the spark is spreading.
As a Portland native, Scott lives about 8 blocks from the modest SE Portland house where his parents brought him home as a newborn. Although he has traveled extensively, he has never questioned where home is. Portland has supported his music allowing him to grow and flourish in a way that only Portland can. As a young Burnside Skate Park terrorizing teen, he cut his teeth in the local rock venues like x-ray cafe, La Luna and the infamous Satyricon. In his early 20’s he played jazz and hard bop with Portland titans like Mel Brown and Leroy Vinegar. As Scott’s musicianship has developed, he has also played blues with Curtis Salgado and Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), funk/soul with Bernard Purdie and Zach Najor, Afrobeat and Cuban with Nojeem Lasissi (King Sunny Ade) and Bobby Torres, jammed with Left Over Salmon and JGB, and explored the outer reaches with Skerik and Mike Dillon. Scott’s ability to effectively join these masters of style puts some perspective on his own sound. It is genre defying.