Official Web Site

What inspired me to create this site was after my mother was given the first photo that many had seen of him playing sax on stage. It was then that my mother and uncle Nasim informed me of him being in a book, Who's Who in Jazz of Montreal Ragtime to 1970 by John Gilmore. Gladstone Scott is also listed on TheCanadianEncyclopedia.com website. In 2013 the family discovered a half a page dedicated to my grandfather in Richard Vacca's, The Boston Jazz Chronicles - Faces, Places, and Nightlife 1937-1962.

It had dawned on me that my grandfather was more popular than I had been told. Quite popular in Boston and especially in Montreal jazz history. I felt that it was time to explore as much about him as I can about his life. Little history has been documented of his life there are a couple of web sites and books that have a brief text telling of him. Unfortunately, the one woman that could have been really helpful for this would have been his mother (my great grandmother) Marie Scott, who passed away after illness brought on after a stroke in January 2003. She was a strong woman and lived on her own up till her last days. I will painstakingly try to piece the the bits of information that she shared with me about him.

This site will be my personal research project that will try to document his life. Little of him was known to many family members and his children. His sister, Elaine, said he was a very private person and he didn't like anyone delving into his business. He had 5 children in Boston, MA. My uncle Nasim, Gladstone Scott's first born son, resembles Gladstone like a mirror - and he followed in his father's interests in martial arts and playing tenor sax.

Photo of Gladstone Scott's son Nasim Abdul-Malik, shown here playing tenor sax in West Africa, Ivory Coast in 2000.

My mother was 7 years old when Gladstone Scott past away and she barely knew him as he left to find music work in Montreal, Canada when she was 2 years old. I'm going to contact as many family members to get as many photos as I can of him to share. I myself only seen two photos in my lifetime and I'm 36 years old, yet I look forward to discovering all the photos I come across. They will be added below as I continue my search and discovery.

Photo of Gladstone Scott with his best friend Malcom (Shorty) Jarvis (He's the man that Spike Lee plays in the movie, Malcom X - Malcom and Shorty went to Jail together) who was with Gladstone Scott up until his final moments in life. The beautiful woman is a singer who's name is unknown. This photo was taken around 1957-1958.

Gladstone Scott's mother, Marie Scott (Ma Scott) and his younger brother, Paul Scott (Uncle Paul). I recall my Uncle Paul being an up-beat, comedic gruff man in my early childhood years. He used to send me to the store to pick him up a pack of Paul Mall cigarettes. I also remember him having a very bad cough because of his heavy smoking. Very breathy and wheezy. I was told that Paul had been around the world 3 times serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II and later joining the Army during the Korean War. He and his older brother, Gladstone Scott, were very close. Paul past away in 1994.

This is a 2003 photograph of Marie Scott (Ma Scott) Gladstone Scott's mother. She buried her 2 sons and has a daughter, Elaine, surviving her. She lived proudly for 96 years.

Interested in seeing family member links to Gladstone Scott, click below:

NasimsMartialArts.com
This site is Gladstone Scott's son Nasim Abdul-Malik's for martial arts lessons and private instruction.

BrenStudios.com
This site is hosted by Brendunt Scott - Grandson of Gladstone Scott. He offers music rehearsal and studio recording and production. He's also a singer/musician in his spare time.

The first photo that showed my grandfather, Gladstone Scott, playing sax in a band. This is the photo that inspired me to document his life.

For starters, I'll list some highlights that I recall of his life and will flesh them out in detail after further research:

• Gladstone Scott, 05/31/1927 to 1957. His great grandfather, William Austin Burch, was in the historic 54th Regiment - B company, which was basis for the movie, Glory. He was also in the battle of Fort Sumner. Other than what the movie led to believe - he was among the survivors from the 54th Regiment.
  
  
• He lived with his Grandmother away from his brother, Paul and sister, Elaine. Both Gladstone and Paul were sent to learn Ju-Jitsu together - where Gladstone earned his black belt
  
  
• His aunt, Helen, was an accomplished pianist and sent money for Gladstone's music interest and paid for some classes at the New England Conservatory of Music. He started with the fife. Then the clarinet, but found his love of the Tenor Sax
  
  
• Seeing a great potential in young Gladstone Scott, he received a full scholarship to New England Conservatory of Music at age of 8
  
  
• Was the first black boy to be accepted in The Boston Symphony and even filled in from time to time when they needed a sax player
  
  
• Had the opportunity to get on stage and play sax as a young boy of 12 years old with Coleman Hawkins and surprised them all that a child so young had so much talent
  
  
• Gladstone was very fond of his grandfather, Ezekiel Milton Scott, who was from New Orleans and owned a pool hall in the South End area of Boston. He also owned his own property (24 or 26 Greenwhich Park), which was quite an accomplishment for black people.
  
  
• Converted to the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam belief and took the Islam name, Ghulam Sadik, although in music he was still billed as Gladstone Scott. Ahmadi Muslims have earned the distinction of being a law-abiding, peaceful, persevering and benevolent community. It firmly believes in and acts upon the Qur'anic teaching: "There is no compulsion in religion." (2:257) It strongly rejects violence and terrorism in any form and for any reason
  
  
• A conscientious objector to the World War II, Gladstone Scott was forced to make a decision between going to prison or taking part in the USO Show playing sax during World War II. Discovered and earned his black belt in Ju Jitsu during his travels
  
  
• Gladstone Scott was stationed in Hiroshima shortly after they dropped bomb. He explored the mountains in the city and found samurai swords - all without the knowledge of radiation poisoning existing in the area.
  
  
• Met my grandmother, Ethel Leona Butler, who is still to this day remains Ethel L. Scott. Had 5 children after marrying her, Elizabeth (Asheen), Nasim, Khadija, Ethel, Robert (who past away in his infancy because of complications at birth)
  
  
• Gladstone along with his wife and children lived in his grandparent's (Amy Friday Scott, grandmother) house at 24 or 26 Greenwhich Park
  
  
• Was considered one of the best if not the best tenor sax players in Boston, MA in the late 40s
  
  
• 1952 he traveled up to Montreal, Canada to look for work. He wanted his wife Ethel and his children to come with him. She refused to go and stayed home with the children
  
  
• Made a name for himself in Montreal. Played for Al Cowan and his band The Tramps
  
  
• Received a letter from Malcolm X when he was in prison after Malcolm heard Gladstone Scott on the radio one night. (a copy of this letter will be added here as soon as I get a scan of it)
  
  
• (Not fully researched as of yet) It is said that Gladstone tried to convince his wife, Ethel Scott, who refused to take their children and move up together to Montreal. Some claim their was a warrant for his arrest if he came back across the boarder - which he was able to do a couple of times to see his children in secrecy. The first time he was there to see his children. The 2nd time he came back was for his grandfather's funeral. Ultimately, he met a Montreal mayor's daughter, by the name of Monique.
  
  
• His sister Elaine, confirmed that back in the 50's police did crack down hard on fathers. She said that she was sending money for his children, but wife still filed for support which put him on the list by the police. He even turned down a gig to play with Bo Diddley, because of this issue.
  
  
• Playing in Montreal and receiving popularity, Gladstone Scott became very close with a night club owner who passed on The Esquire night club to Gladstone. It is not sure if he changed the name of the club when he aquired it.
  
  
• Said to be outcome of his Hiroshima, Japan USO tour, lung cancer was the result. One night being on stage, Gladstone had a coughing fit and spat up blood. His fellow musicians wanted him to go to the hospital but he refused to go for concern of losing the gig. He later was convinced to go to the hospital where he stayed for a week. During his final moments. Those around his bed heard him mumbling and thought he was losing it. But someone confimed he was praying in arabic for his islam belief. Gladstone kept a sense of humor making fun with his friends, saying, "You thought I was dead, huh?"
  
  
• HIs final moments were grief stricken because he knew he would never get to see his children again, he passed after a week in the hospital. His best friend, Malcom (Shorty) Jarvis is the person who alerted my family of his passing up in Canada. Gladstone Scott was 32 years old
  
  
• Gladstone Scott was buried by his mother, Marie Scott, in The Cambridge Cemetery, on Mount Auburn St., Cambridge, Massachusetts. His mother later buried her 2nd son, Gladstone's younger brother Paul Scott in the '70s. Marie Scott herself passed away in 2003
  
  
• He is succeeded by 11 grandchildren, Nasim, Lateesha and Maya Abdul Malik. Brendunt, Antoine and Tamara Scott. Kim, Latrice and Paul Woodruff. Steven and Ryan Stoute. He has 11 or more great grandchildren succeeding him
  
  
• Gladstone Scott was recently in the running to be inducted in the New England Jazz Hall of Fame 2001
  
• Sam Rivers - played with Ghulam Sadik (Gladstone Scott)

• In 2013 the family discovered a half a page written about my grandfather in Richard Vacca's, The Boston Jazz Chronicles - Faces, Places, and Nightlife 1937-1962.

  

  See an excerpt from the book below.

From The Boston Jazz Chronicles book - We please ask you to purchase this book - contains an immeasurable wealth of Boston Jazz history!

Gladstone Scott
Gladstone Scott (Scott converted to Islam and changed his name to Ghulam Sadiq, but continued to use Gladstone Scott professionally), one of the forgotten ones of Boston jazz, was by all accounts one of the best bop tenor players in Boston. Born in Boston in 1927, Scott studied the clarinet and tenor
saxophone at the New England Conservatory as a teen, and like many young Boston musicians, worked as one of Tasker Crosson’s Ten Statesmen. When he was of draft age near the end of the war, Scott declared himself to be a conscientious objector and served his equivalent time with the USO as a touring musician. When the war ended, his band went to occupied Japan and was stationed near Hiroshima. When he later developed lung cancer, Scott attributed it to his prolonged exposure to radiation in that environmentally poisoned japanese city.

In the late 1940s, Scott worked with Hillary Rose in the mill towns along the Merrimac River, and with Sam Rivers at Louie’s. Rivers compared Gladstone Scott’s big sound to that of Lucky Thompson, while Eddie Logan recalled that Scott “played in the style of Don Byas, and there was not a faster guy on his instrument.” Scott, though, was one of a number of Boston jazzmen who found work in Canada. He arrived in Montreal in about 1952, and he remained an integral part of the jazz community there until his death in I957. Legal problems made him an infrequent visitor to Boston in his later years, so he missed out on the modern jazz at the Melody Lounge and Hi-Hat. But it is as one of the Melody Lounge gang that he should be remembered.

Photos and info thanks to Khadija J. Scott, Nasim Scott, Kim Woodruff and Latrice Olbina.

Please, anyone with any knowledge, history, photos or musical recordings of Gladstone Scott, please email me by clicking here!