Pitchfork

Photo by M.E. Smith

As early 1990s hip-hop goes, you name it, and Scotty Hard probably had a hand in it. Wu-Tang Clan, De La Soul, Black Sheep, Ultramagnetic MCs, P.M. Dawn, Jungle Brothers, Gravediggaz, and even Chris Rock have all received Hard's mixing/engineering touch, and the studio whiz also produced jazz records by the likes of Medeski Martin & Wood, Sex Mob, and others.

The knob-smith, born Scott Harding, has fallen on difficult times after a February 15 car accident left him in serious condition with multiple injuries, including a crushed spinal cord. Harding underwent surgery earlier this month and is in good spirits, but he is partially paralyzed and the road to recovery will be a long and uncertain one. And as Harding has no health insurance, the road to financial recovery may be even longer.

To help Harding's cause, a number of music-making friends have come together for a benefit concert tomorrow night, March 19, at the Highline Ballroom in New York City. The bill for "The Scotty Hard Concert" includes jazz guitar legend John Scofield, Antibalas, Bill Laswell, MMW's John Medeski and Billy Martin, Marco Benevento and Joe Russo of Benevento/Russo Duo, Eric Krasno, Neal Evans, Sex Mob, DJ Logic, John Ellis, Michael Black, Vijay Iyer, Tommy Hamilton, and Kevin Kendrick.

All proceeds from the event will go to the Scotty Hard Trust, established to help Harding through his ordeal. For information on how you can contribute directly, please consult the Trust's website.