What the critics are saying about Will Scruggs….
“Scruggs’ flair for evoking classic jump-tune romps and horn-powered Crescent City funk couldn’t be more apparent.” His CD, BlueBari Jam, is “a dynamic arrangement showcasing Scruggs’ surging tenor and the Jazz Fellowship’s tight rhythm section. It’s an enjoyable trip that will appeal to fans of traditional jazz as well as devotees of R&B, blues and reggae.”
-Mike Joyce, Washington Post, February 1, 2008
“No one can accuse saxophonist Will Scruggs of a lackadaisical performance. He plunges into the music like a Swing Era tenor man bent on bringing the house down. Whether on tenor or baritone saxophone, Scruggs partakes liberally of the tried-and-true blues vocabulary of growls, wide vibrato, pitch manipulation, and slippery versus-emphatic articulation. He knows the ropes.”
-Owen Cordle, Raleigh News and Observer, October 7, 2007
“Scruggs and his Fellowship kick the booty from the barnyard on BlueBari Jam. Like a New Orleans street band, the Fellowship is intent on partying their way all down the block--drinks, shimmies and shakes in tow. Jazz needs more of these middle American gurus, musicians who can spread the word, win over the kids, and re-integrate the music into the mainstream. With interest in jazz at an all time low in the U.S., thank God for small favors, and Will Scruggs's Jazz Fellowship.”
-Ken Micallef, “Better Living Through MP3,” November 7, 2007
“Will Scruggs’ second CD as a leader (and first for a widely distributed label) shows tremendous growth. Alternating between baritone and tenor saxes, Scruggs is accompanied by a terrific band. His furious riff tunes suggest a throwback to the early days of bop…a compelling CD.” -Ken Dryden, AllMusc Guide
“Playing to a packed house at Twins Jazz at Saturday night’s 9:00 set, CC Booker III, feat. Will Scruggs, delivered an earthshaking mix of soul, funk, and hard-bop jazz. Every solo, every tune, and occasionally even a few lonely riffs generated screams and mighty ovations. Twins has a reputation for filling seats with the avant-garde, but even the edgiest listeners need some good old funky fun now and then. CC Booker only plays DC about once a year, but they never fail to generate that fun.”
-Michael J. West, Washington City Paper, Feb. 4, 2008
Biography
Will Scruggs was born in Atlanta and grew up in Raleigh, NC, where he attended Enloe High School. Drawn to jazz after he began playing saxophone at the age of 8, Will returned to Atlanta in 1998 to attend Emory University.
At Emory, Will was named the top college jazz musician of 2001 in Alabama and Georgia by the Alabama Jazz and Blues Federation. While attending Emory he studied saxophone with Fareed Mahluli and was mentored by Gary Motley and Rev. Dr. Dwight Andrews. After becoming the first student ever to graduate from Emory with Highest Honors in Jazz Performance, as well as a BBA in Marketing. "Mr. Scruggs" joined Teach for America to teach first grade in Southeast Atlanta. After Teach for America, Will returned to music, earning a Master of Music in Jazz Studies at Georgia State University in 2006.
Will’s first legit band was Cadillac Jones, an original jazz/funk band out of Atlanta. Their second record, Junk in the Trunk, was released in 2003 on Harmonized Records. During his time with Cadillac Jones, Will had the opportunity to sit in with both the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Bands, open shows for Charlie Hunter and Blood, Sweat, and Tears, and perform at the Knitting Factory in New York, NY. During this time, he also made regular guest appearances with Perpetual Groove throughout the Southeast and as far as California, where he shared the stage with Skerik, Jessica Lurie, and Umphrey's McGee's Jake Cinninger at the 2003 High Sierra Music Festival. After Cadillac Jones, Will spent 8 years as a member of Kingsized, featuring Big Mike Geier, who who went on to become Puddles the Clown.
He has released five CD’s as a bandleader: Will Scruggs Jazz Fellowship (2005), BlueBari Jam (Summit Records, 2007), CC Booker III feat. Will Scruggs (2010), Song of Simeon: A Christmas Journey (2012), and Trio Jockamo Live at the Bistreaux! (2019). His recordings have received international radio airplay on Sirius XM and NPR and strong reviews in numerous publications including the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. Will has been featured as a soloist with the Belgium Chamber Orchestra, toured and recorded with Natalie Cole, appeared on albums by Cee-Lo Green, the Wood Brothers, Belle & Sebastian, and worked with producers Dallas Austin and Jermaine Dupri.
Will also maintains a private saxophone teaching studio at his Woodshed Saxophone Studio in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta. (For more information, please click on “Woodshed Sax Studio”).
While teaching and performing, Will also operates a booking business. He served as Manager of Music for Ray’s Restaurants from 2005-2009 and again from 2018-2023. At Ray’s he designed and managed a music program that booked over 400 performances per year and brought in performers such as Big Mike Geier, Joe Gransden, Audrey Shakir, Ansley Stewart, Kayla Taylor, Jennifer Hansen, and many more. (For more information, please click on “Willis I Music Bookings”).
Will is also a member of the Third Sunday Jazz Band at First Congregational Church (UCC) of Atlanta, GA, and he served as Associate Director from 2021-2022 during virtual worship due to COVID. In partnership with Rev.Dr. Dwight D. Andrews, the Third Sunday Band brings jazz into Worship once per month in the heart of downtown Atlanta, with Civil Rights Icon, Ambassador Andrew Young, as the resident preacher whenever the 3rd Sunday Band leads worship.
