Darrell Scott

No less an icon than Guy Clark once scolded a Rockefeller's audience for being rude to his opening act, who also happened to be his guitarist at the time. "You were complete assholes to Darrell," Clark said. "You'll live to regret that." Now Darrell Scott has gone on to bigger things than even Clark probably envisioned. An A-list Nashville session picker, Grammy-nominated songwriter and vocalist with an astonishing range, Scott is in constant musical motion. He can flat-pick with anyone (he's part of Steve Earle's Bluegrass Dukes), yet on his recent live album, wielding a Les Paul Goldtop, Scott literally jumps from blues to rock to jazz to country — and all points in between — in an amazing display of virtuosity. His most recent Americana record, The Invisible Man, is filled with pointed blue-collar political observations that set Scott above the gaggle of folk charlatans singing their perfunctory "no war for oil" songs. On his first visit to Houston in years, he'll be performing solo, but don't think that means easy listening.