K. R. "Skoot" Larson

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K. R. "Skoot" Larson is the author of the Zen-Jazz mystery series starring trumpet playing jazz detective Lars Lindstrom, including "The No News is Bad News Blues," and "The Real Gone Horn Gone Blues."

Skoot was born in Los Angeles on May 6, 1947 and grew up in Southern California with the exception of one year, 1949, spent in Cambridge, Massachusetts while his father, James W. Larson, was completing his Architecture study under Walter Gropius at Harvard. Young Skoot was a music fan from birth. As a toddler, Skoot would sit in the parlor putting 78-rpm records on the family’s crank-up Victorola and listening for hours at a time. At age 6, Skoot was given a $15.00 trumpet and weekly lessons. Fascinated by his father’s jazz collection, Skoot would play along with records of Louis Armstrong or Pete Daily’s Chicagoans.

When Skoot entered school in Pasadena, California, the San Raphael School Band was top-heavy with youngsters wanting to compete for the few trumpet chairs, so Skoot took up clarinet and saxophone. At this time, he also became a member of the Pasadena Boys Club Concert and Marching Band where he learned the fundamentals of playing in a large precision group. As a member of the Boys Club Band, Skoot had the opportunity to perform on television shows like the Dinah Shore Chevy Show, and to play with masters like Henry Mancini, Frede Grofé and trumpeter extraordinaire Raphael Mendez.

Skoot went on to solo with the Los Altos High School Jazz Ensemble, the Fullerton College Jazz Band, and Fullerton College’s "Beginnings," an ensemble of a capella choir, dancers and jazz combo. Skoot also arranged music for "Beginnings."

It was about this time that Skoot made the baritone saxophone his primary musical voice and began writing reviews of music, art and theater events.

A trained public speaker and broadcaster, Skoot was a host and "disc-jockey" of music programs, call-in talk shows and in-depth newscasts at radio stations from California to Florida and often served as Master-of-Ceremonies for dinners, fund-raisers, pageants and events.

Skoot served his country with Amphibious Forces in Viet Nam, as well as deploying with the team that picked up the Apollo 10 astronauts when their capsule landed in the Pacific. Skoot retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) after writing the Port of Los Angeles Anti-Terrorism Plan for the 1984 Olympics.

Most recently, Skoot served as conductor and host aboard the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line’s historic "Pacific Electric" streetcar from 2003 until early 2006.

Skoot is an avid reader and history buff. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Humanities–Jazz Music History from California State University Dominguez Hills. Skoot’s thesis, "Big Horn, the Baritone Saxophone in Jazz", can be accessed from his home page. Another area of interest for Skoot is jazz from Scandinavia, and his History of Jazz in Sweden, with a link on his home page as well.

Skoot’s primary loves are acoustic jazz, Wagnerian Opera and pussycats. He is currently at work on his third jazz novel featuring trumpeter Lars Lindstrom, "The Last Dance at Blondy's.".