About Me

First, I was a piano player, taking lessons and playing constantly. That led to lots of night club work back in the day (late 80's) in Florida. I did a lot of studio work, recording and producing my own discs. Then for some reason I never moved forward with the marketing of the recordings. I moved on as music director for local productions of Broadway Musicals, choir director for various churches. I was a piano teacher for a couple years in Flagstaff, AZ. Finally gravitated to piano tech out of love for the indtrument. I had a small shop in my mountain home in Flagstaff, AZ. and made a geat livingin the 90's. During that time, I was a member of the Monday Night Blues band' playing at Charlies in the Hotel Weathford downtown Flag. Hank Tomlin was the leader, 3/4 blind virtuoso guitarist. Bob Blasi, Retro vintage drummer time warped from 1945, knew exactly what a flat tirwe had to do with the blues. Roger Smith bass player/ Middle school science teacher held down the bottom. I was playing My custom Chopped Hammond M-3 Organ and 147 Leslie Speaker...Why I got rid of that organ is still a mystery. My late father-in-Law helped customize the cabinet. It was very cool (and very heavy) but it screamed. The wiring was a mess, the tubes were worn, the drawbars were dirty. On top lots of drinks and smokes were tossed. All this abuse gave it a growling warm- screaming tone that I have yet to recapture to this day. Anyway, I was also moonlighting with the Tommy Dukes Blues Band at the 'Monte Vista' hotel- down the street from Charlies. Sometimes Tommy would sit in at Charlies, sometimes I played Organ for his band. Then we combined both bands and put together a 7 piece 'Blues Brothers' style show band and entered the National Blues competition. We won the AZ state title, which qualified us to go to Memphis for the finals. Tommy was superstitious and drove the whole way. The rest of us flew over. The Contest was rigged! (imagine That!) We really smoked the contest, but lost in the end. No hard feelings here, just the way it goes. Probably this contributed to my drifting away from a performance career. Do Ya Think???

I wrote a collection of Metaphysical/ Spiritual songs, with my Wife Lin, and dreamed of having a nice fat rich church hire me as music director, or some sort of other foolish- high paying position. Sooo, I started performing in 'Unity' new Thought churches in AZ, the 2nd gig was at Unity of Tucson. They heard me sing and offered me the gig on the spot. I said "Hell Yea!" Loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly'. 1 year later (contract was 1 yr) I ran away screaming from the power/ politico's of the church, bought a 5th wheel trailer and headed for Padre Island just south of Corpus Cristi TX.

Then I recorded "The Journey Within" a guided meditation disc, that is actually quite effective. One track in particular we recorded by a streams edge. I mic'd the stream so well, that you probably can't listen to the whole track without a potty break. Melinda Nay was the orator on that collection.

September 11, 2001: on the road to Lexington Kentucky, newly hired by Biasco Piano stores as manager for there Lex store. Traveling in high style: 38' Holiday Rambler 5th wheel and matching hauler. By the time we arrived, Biasco closed all of it's Eastern States Stores along with Lex.

On the way back, Recorded and produced a musical adaptation of "The Tempest" for the Albuquerque Shakespear Festival 2001.

Then I did a project with a new buddy Mark B.. (All recording was done in my 5th wheel trailer) Mark was a lost member of my choir back in the Unity of Tucson days, a mentally abused husband, and frustrated blues/ soul singer. We recorded about 6 R&B tunes co-wrote, sang, recorded tracks and laughed a lot. No sooner the mix was put to 'Master' Mark passed away on the bench press at the gym of a bisected aorta. He literally died of a broken heart. He was the buddy I had searched for most of my life. We had 2 years together, and wrote some great blues tunes. One of my favorites: 'I didn't think that you could be like that' my favorite line: I'm gonna love you till the day YOU die. (He was singing about his abusive wife). Hopefully she won't sue me for this posting, but we all must take risks in this life.

Woa..that was a mouth full!. If you are sick of this by now, go ahead and skip to the music section, or the piano how to's, I won't mind. Otherwise, here comes more of Scott Ramsey life.

Rewinding a bit, 1990:I left Florida with wife Lin, Daugher Melody, and a U-haul. Had no clue of Flagstaff, other than it seemed like a better place than Florida, (you know, so close to my MOTHER) Prior to moving out West, I used to hate Country Music. I played jazz, bee-bop, hip cool stuff while wearing a slim tie over my slim waist.First band I got hitched up with in Flagstaff was a cuntry band, YeeHaw! Sheryl L... and the Midnite Ride (duh?) We played such resorts as the Pioneer Hotel in Lake Havasu City. Have you ever seen those photots of the Apollo moon landing site? Then you know just what Havasu is like. There can't be many other places on this planet as forbidding, as Lake Havasu City. If you love it there, EXCUSE ME! No offence intended. It is used purely as background for this miserable scene of my career. The good news was, my playing fit right in with country music. Now a days, I really love listening and playing bumpki...country music.

Rewind back to Florida, Clearwater: 1986ish. 'Kool Reflektions featuring Belinda Womack' Yes, all the guys were breathing heavy when Belinda sang. She was good, probably still at it now. We were playing at Maxwell's Silver Hammer' in palm harbor Florida. Did some Michelob smooth jazz concert series in Tampa, stuff like that. Recorded a little album of remakes- no originals at all. Belinda was supposed to be a star. What happened: Life I guess.

Rewind before that: Johnny Charro 'A Tribute to Elvis' Johnny at the time was in his 50's. He was in great shape, but did not look or sound at all like Elvis. Side Note: Here is another musical genre that I HATED! F'n Elvis. yeesh. But after a year in that band, after learning and arranging all of Elvis' show music, bass lines, strings and orchestrations, back up vocals, ya know what? I LOVE ELVIS NOW! ...I know, it's sick, but there it is. And Johnny...He did a few big shows through the year, maybe 500-1000 in the audience...mostly women 60 or older...writhing on the floor...hiking up there skirts...yelling for johnny to "take Me, Johnny!"...Honest to God, I am not making any of this up. The guitar player Roy, real nice guy, hard to understand his english, could make his guitar produce the most awful grating irritating noises I have ever heard to this day.

Back up a little more...1980ish. 'Ebony & Cream' that classic sound. We played beach music. What, you don't know what beach music is? Here's an example: Under The Boardwalk, by the Drifters. Stand By Me, Sam Cook, stuff like that. Calvin was the leader. African/American 200 lbs of pure charisma. Drank Stoli's by the water glass...all night. Snorted lines during break, maybe went up to the motel room for a quicky during break, and back to it, on stage. Don S, he played sax. had a VW van, a wife with braided armpits, and smelled like a goat that just lost a fight with a tomcat. He could really make the sax wail (but strangely never held it, it was suspended on a stand at playing height, and he would just hover up to it) I was playing B-3 with a Fender Rhodes on top. Boss push button rhythm machine, organ bass pedals ( after all, I played all the Bach Fugues as a kid) Calvin sang, beat on Conga drums with tympani mallets (not his hands) and spread Charisma throughout the land. He had the longest running rap of BS I have ever heard. And man, did we make the cash. Clearwater Beach, Holiday Inn Sea Side Resort: Poolside, Every Saturday And Sunday. The whole pool deck was wall to wall people, The channel was a log jam of luxury yachts and ski boats, you could walk across from boat to boat at times. Clearwater Police were always in force, directing traffic, crowd control. People hanging off the balconies 8 stories up, and the 3 of us, Ebony & Cream, was what everybody was there to catch a part of the vibe. Looking back at that time, it was a huge highlight of my career. technically, the music was good, but not great. What it was was entertaining.

Calvin with his long curved coke spoon pinky finger nail, lifted up with a mallet to spike the peak of the tune. At least 4 women every gig thinking that she was the one to be with old Calvin today, right after the set was over! We played clubs like the 'Sea Spire Restaurant', Clearwater Beach (an impossible piece of architecture: a pyramid upside down anchored to the earth by it's point) Pappas restaurant in Tarpon Springs over 2 years as house band. Les Partners on Island Estates, Clearwater beach. This was where Calvin had first hired me, for he saw me with 'Nite Walk', a struggling top 40 band, (the first band I played with in clubs). Calvin's Keyplayer, Gus, flew the coop, somehow. Calvin had the gigs, was desperate offered me about double what nite walk paid, and I was gone! I started that very night.

Lots of bands, thousands of playing hours. The comment I always hear: " Oh, how I wish I could play like you, Scott". Ocassionally I will comment: "All you have to do is play 9- 4 hour sets a week plus 2-3 rehearsals for about 15 years, and you are there! My playing is smooth, I can read music, but seldom do anymore, The key of the song is not relevant, only that I can hear it in my head. Whats in my head comes out through my fingers.

I also sing quite a bit but not much lately. When I listen to my old tracks, I can now appreciate my voice as I was never able to in the past.

Through all this playing came a lot of dissapointments. Playing endless local based gigs, with nothing more than small time recognition takes its toll on the spirit. Do it long enough and it could make ya down right grumpy! Through the years I have pushed my ambitions of a career in music back, and replaced it with piano tech work. Don't get me wrong, if I didn't love working with pianos, I would not do it! I have tuned and rebuilt/ refinished pianos, 1000's of pianos, moved pianos, bought and sold pianos, to the point it is now my whole career.

Then I built a music store in a major mall, and crashed it into a steaming flaming pile of financial loss in the process. I had TV commercials, radio ads, guitar contests, piano recitals, 12 employees, tons of debt, then I borrowed more $$, then I thought, if I just get another 100K I can make it. Then I got mean. Then some people thought I was a jerk! Then I opened an even bigger store! Then I lost my keister! (and my mind along with it). I became kind of a recluse for a time.

So here I am rising from the ashes of my self imposed story. Here is the latest idea: I am now Combining my playing, my music tracks, piano tech work, online shop of various musical items, with blogs and demo vidoes binding it all together into an amalgom that will benefit those of you that are interested, or helped, or entertained by my talents.

Sincerely (or not)
Scott Ramsey
Piano-man/ Key-Player. Musical Director. Producer. Composer. Blues/ Jazz/ R&B/ New Thought Spiritual Artist. http://RamseysPianos.com/RamseysMusicalExperience, Foothills Mall. http://stores.ebay.com/ramseysmusic
http://www.myspace.com/scottramseymyspacecom