With Big Jay McNeely at the Chicago Blues Festival, 2007

Jesse's Bio

Growing up in Colorado I used to listen to rock & roll oldies on Sunday mornings, and I always liked the gritty sound of those old-school sax players. So when I was 12, I picked up the tenor sax and joined the school band. My first sax record was Yakety Sax by Boots Randolph.

I moved to Chicago in 1990 to attend the University of Chicago, but it wasn't until after college that I got serious about music. I started sitting in with West Side blues bands to hone my "chops."

In the mid 1990s I did some touring with Grammy-nominated blues drummer Sam Lay (of the Howlin' Wolf and Paul Butterfield Bands) before starting my own group specializing in surf, R&B and rock & roll.

Celebrating with Sam Lay at Rosa's Lounge, 2007

Since that time we've played hundreds of gigs at countless venues—including The House of Blues,
Navy Pier, United Center and Rosa's Lounge—plus festivals, TV and radio shows and private events.

In 2000 I started working with one of my long-time sax idols, Big Jay McNeely. We released a studio album in 2003 called The Clutch, featuring my original music. It was named one of the year's top ten blues albums by Chicago Public Radio. Jay and I headlined the Chicago Blues Festival in
June 2007 as well as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April 2008.

At the California Clipper with Susie Gomez, 2003

I play a vintage Selmer Mark VI tenor sax that I got from Willie Young, another member of the Howlin' Wolf Band. And by the way, my last name is pronounced SHIN-toe—it's Italian!

Television Credits WMAQ-TV WGN-TV Channel 9 News Channel 5 News Chic-A-Go-Go Paul Parello's Blues Power The 4th Ward Report Discographical Credits The Clutch • Jesse Scinto / Big Jay McNeely    (Marquis, 2003) Rock & Roll Dream • Jesse Scinto & The Dignitaries    (Marquis, 2001) Jesse also appears on the following albums: Talkin' All Out of My Head • Bo Dudley (2006) The Din Room • Voice Box (2005) Blues & Love • Billy Flynn (Easy Baby, 2002) More Real Folk Blues • The Rockin' Johnny Band    (Marquis, 2001) The SmokeDaddy Band featuring Billy Flynn • Billy Flynn    (Easy Baby, 2000) Betty's Blue Star Lounge • Rockin' Billy & the    Wild Coyotes (2000) No Worries • Rob Stone & the C-Notes (Marquis, 1998) Straight Out of Chicago • The Rockin' Johnny Band (Delmark, 1997)

Print Credits
Living Blues • Chicago Magazine • The Chicago Reader • Time Out Chicago • Chicago Sun-Times • The Daily Herald • NewCity • Roctober • The Toronto Star • Big City Blues • Blues on Stage • The Shepherd Express • Now Dig This

Radio Credits
American Mosaic on KCSN 88.5 FM Northridge, Calif.
Funk Roots on KUAC 89.9 FM Fairbanks, Alaska
Local Anesthetic on WXRT 93.1 FM Chicago
Eight Forty-Eight on WBEZ 91.5 FM Chicago
Coming Home on WBEZ 91.5 FM Chicago
The Blues Show on WNUR 89.3 FM Evanston, Ill.
Paul Parello's Blues Power, WRMN 1410 AM Elgin, Ill.
Hambone's Blues Hour on WCBR 92.7 FM,
   WJKL 94.3 FM, WDCB 90.9 FM Chicago
Sonia with Blues on WMSE 91.7 FM Milwaukee
The Blue Side on WPNE 89.3 FM Green Bay
Evolution of Swing on WNTI 91.9 FM Hackettstown, N.J.
Two for the Blues on WORT 89.9 FM Madison, Wisc.
Saturday Night Jazz & Blues on WDET 101.9 FM Detroit
Pili Pili on National Radio 1 Brussels BELGIUM
Mojo Dreams on SINAAI 105.5 FM Zwijndrecht
   BELGIUM
Radio Milo 103.1 FM Mol BELGIUM
The Blues Hour on Radio Holstebro 97.4 FM Holstebro
   DENMARK
VFM Blues on VFM Radio 91.6 FM CROATIA
Bluespower on Radio Bremerhaven 90.7 FM
   Bremerhaven GERMANY
Good Time Blues on 91.3 FM Buenos Aires
   ARGENTINA
Radio Sant Boi on 96.1 FM Barcelona SPAIN