He established himself in the 1950s through working with the saxophonist Gerry Mulligan when “having a cello player as an improvising member of a jazz group was then virtually unheard of.”[1] In addition to Gerry Mulligan, Calo Scott worked with Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Gato Barbieri, Marc Levin, and John Handy among others.
He studied at the Third Street Settlement House (a community school founded in 1894 in the Lower East Side, which offered classes in contemporary music and dance).
He began working as a freelance musician in New York City in the mid 1950s, where he frequently performed at Five Spot, Dom, and Village Gate, as well as at Carnegie Hall.
[3] His most acclaimed recordings include his solos in the track "Don't Blame Me" on The Music of Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and his contributions to Gato Barbieri Quartet's In Search of the Mystery.
"[4] Lorenzo Thomas on Calo Scott “The day John Handy III came to town, he was featured on television.
It was Sunday afternoon and in the Dom’s cool, dark basement lounge Handy and cellist Calo Scott sat up on the bar and played some thoughtful, beautiful music.
These were artists with total mastery of their instruments… They stopped just in time for everybody in the place, a couple dozen folk, to help John watch himself on TV.