Scooter Muse

A long time guitar player, 1968 marked a big change in the music Scooter Muse had digested during the folk years. Bonnie and Clyde had a banjo on the soundtrack – Earl Scruggs’ Foggy Mt. Breakdown – and from that point on he never looked back.

Finally, after the summer of 1972, with the sound of Dueling Banjos on any folkie’s mind, Scooter purchased his first banjo, took a few lessons – and almost 50 years later has been fortunate to win countless banjo competitions throughout the southeast including the Tennessee Valley Championships 8 times.

He has played banjo with bluegrass legends, Claire Lynch, Vassar Clements and a host of others as well as handling first call banjo duties for the world famous Muscle Shoals, Alabama recording industry.

While at the Briarfield Bluegrass Festival in Alabama in the early 80’s, another life-changer for him was experiencing the progressive Celtic sounds of a great band, Touchstone.  That show launched him into the world of Celtic music on banjo, and ultimately, moving into the world of open tunings on the guitar.

In the 90’s he founded the Full Moon Ensemble, who achieved national recognition, toured the US and Canada as well as Scotland and recorded 5 critically acclaimed CDs. After a successful 8 year run, the FME went their separate ways and Scooter was drafted as the guitar player for the longest running Celtic band in the south, Henri’s Notions, based in Tuscaloosa, AL for over 30 years.  The Notions consistently play festivals, concerts and other venues throughout the southeast and have appeared with such great artists as Bob Dylan, Paddy Obrien, Patrick Street, Brian McNeill and countless others.

In 2005, Scooter recorded his first solo guitar CD, Saddell Abbey, with all original material as well as original music set to the poetry of Robert Burns. From there while still with the Notions, he began to work as a duo with vocalist/flute player Jil Chambless. They have recorded three highly acclaimed CDs – The Laverock Sang, Passing Tales and Glories, and The Lang Awa Ships. 2021 marked the release of his new solo acoustic guitar CD, The Road to Kintyre.

Scooter is available in the following ensembles –

As a duo with Jil Chambless (www.jilchambless.com).

With Henri’s Notions (www.henrisnotions.com);

With the Ed Miller Trio which includes Ed Miller and Jil Chambless (www.songsofscotland.com)

And, as scheduling permits, he and Jil are also available as a trio with Scottish fiddler John Taylor.

Scooter is also available as a banjo player for recording sessions and other bands as well as furnishing a bluegrass band for any occasion.

Scooter is a Master Folk Artist with the Alabama State Council on the Arts and also teaches private lessons for the five string banjo.