San Diego-born, St. Louis-bred multi-instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan is perhaps best known for his years of work with superstar Sheryl Crow. It’s a tenure that included five Grammy awards, co-writing a Top 10 single, video and national TV appearances, and tours across the globe sharing the stage with some of the most prominent names in music: Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers Band, Emmylou Harris, James Taylor, The Black Crowes, and Jimmy Buffett to name a few.
Bryan embraced music at a young age. Though drums were always the first love, he played trumpet, then French horn in his school concert orchestras. He augmented that formal training with plenty of rock-and-roll baptisms, playing piano, guitar, and drums in garage bands. Eventually, Bryan matriculated to Webster University, and then became a fixture among St. Louis’ top session musicians.
The veteran performer has been equally sought after for his songwriting and production talent. He co-wrote Crow’s “Hard To Make A Stand,” and collaborated with Jimmy Buffet guitarist Peter Mayer, among others. Clients for his commercial/industrial work have varied from the St. Louis Cardinals to Lincoln Mercury, for which he won his Emmy.
Bryan toured extensively with Crow, often sitting-in with the titans of the industry, including on percussion with The Allman Brothers Band during 1994’s H.O.R.D.E. Festival. In 2017, a chance encounter with Devon Allman at Sawhorse Studios in St. Louis led to an invitation to join the Devon Allman Project’s 2018-19 world tour, which also featured Bryan on piano and percussion with the tour’s special guest, Duane Betts.