John Scofield - Uncle John's Band

October 12, 2023

Label: ECM Records, 2023

Personnel - John Scofield: guitar; Vicente Archer: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

Renowned American guitar virtuoso John Scofield, whose inspirational playing alternates between incendiary and velvety smooth, unveils a captivating new trio album that features him alongside distinctive sidemen such as bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart. The former rejoins the other two five years after Combo 66, while the latter has been a consistent collaborator of the guitarist since 1991. Across the 14 tunes comprising Uncle John’s Band (titled after the Grateful Dead’s 1970 folk rock song), Scofield paints a vibrant spectrum of sounds, upholding his inimitable spirit while maintaining a sharp focus and a distinct sense of identity.

Scofield is credited with half of the material, but the record opens with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s classic, “Mr. Tambourine Man”. Droning electronics in loop accompanied by bright cymbal continuum and a resistant bass pedal underpin an introductory section that prominently features the guitar. Under the strong folksy spell of the song, Scofield opens new perspectives as his solo unfolds. Subsequently, Archer follows suit, impregnating his statement with airy waves.

The uptempo hard-bop groove of “How Deep” and the cool jazz vibe of Miles Davis/Bud Powell’s “Budo” showcase nimble jazz maneuvers executed with muscle and an unabashed swinging posture. Coming from the guitarist’s pen, “TV Band” and “Nothing is Forever” (a heartfelt tribute to his late son Evan) are loaded with generous amounts of groove, presenting a scintillating combination of melodic and chordal prowess. They are exquisitely polished to perfection in its final touches. The emotional resonance within these two pieces is particularly noteworthy.

Shifting gears, the country-tinged hues of “Back in Time” and the folk-rock essence of Neil Young’s “Old Man”, which rounds off the first disc, are seamlessly enveloped in a tasteful jazz veneer.

On CD2, the musical landscape feels even more elastic. The highlights are the frail standard jazz ballad “Stairway to the Stars”, propelled by Stewart’s sensitive brushwork; “Mo Green”, a soulful jazz-rock head-nodder with a great funky riff at the center; and “Mask”, which epitomizes jazz-funk at its best, leaving ample room for Stewart’s brilliant commentary.

Placing a high premium on sound clarity and fresh musical ideas, this album is an absolute must-listen for Scofield enthusiasts, offering a delightful collection of eclectic tunes infused with his signature electric vibe.

Favorite Tracks:
03 (CD1) - TV Band ► 06 (CD1) - Nothing is Forever ► 03 (CD2) - Mo Green ► 04 (CD2) - Mask

John Scofield - John Scofield

May 5, 2022

Label: ECM Records, 2022

Personnel - John Scofield: electric guitar, looper.

John Scofield, a glorious guitarist with a slightly twisty guitar sound and a language that often comes adorned with elements of funk, country and rock, has all the reasons to feel jubilant about his new recording. That's because this self-titled album is his first solo effort in a career spanning over half a century.

The chosen repertoire - five originals and eight covers - heralds new sonic directions (including traditional and rock n’roll songs), and the guitarist works his grooves and ambiences to great effect while adding some understated electronic manipulation. The recording initiates with Keith Jarrett’s “Coral”, whose relaxed 4/4 step includes an early overdubbed solo. The following step is a reworking of “Honest I Do”, an original collected out of his Grace Under Pressure album (Blue Note, 1992). Other standout tunes from Scofield’s pen are the cool “Elder Dance”, where he swings unabashedly with jazz n’ bluesy solos and opportune octave inflections; “Mrs. Scofield’s Waltz”, a lovable, gentle piece which first appeared on the superlative album Works For Me (Verve, 2000) with Brad Mehldau; and the fusion-laced “Trance De Jour”.

Both “Danny Boy”, a country/Americana folding whose soloing section is backed by loop waves, and “Junco Partner”, a 16-bar blues from Louisiana, are traditional numbers that show his love for American roots music. However, two of the most stirring cuts are interpretations of standards: “It Could Happen to You” and “There Will Never Be Another You” demonstrate Scofields’s unerring instinct to put his own soulful stamp in the traditional jazz language. Besides the marvelous improvisation, he spices up the former piece’s theme with nice glissandi, and finishes the latter with an awesome quirky chord. Conversely, “My Old Flame” doesn’t have the same impact as the other two.

The reading of Buddy Holly’s rockabilly number “Not Fade Away” comes etched with Americana inscriptions and round bending notes. Here, Scofield experiments a bit more with the sound, infusing muffled bass notes and cyclic funkified electronics. The record closes out with Hank Williams’ “You Win Again”, a leisure walk through the serene prairies of country music. With all these songs serving as a catalyst for the electric hooks and phraseology of the guitarist, this is a sweeping album with a wide range of flavors.

Favorite Tracks:
03 - It Could Happen to You ► 06 - Mrs. Scofield’s Waltz ► 08 - There Will Never Be Another You

John Scofield - Swallow Tales

June 4, 2020

Label: ECM Records, 2020

Personnel - John Scofield: guitar; Steve Swallow: electric bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

On Swallow Tales, guitar giant John Scofield returns to the trio format, interpreting nine beautiful ‘songs’ from longtime bassist friend Steve Swallow, who pairs up here with drummer Bill Stewart to ensure a consistently swinging rhythmic foundation. Knowing one another very well, the old dynamics still pack a punch in what is Scofield’s first record as a leader on the ECM label.

The waltz “She Was Young” opens the recording, driven by Stewart’s sensitive brushes, Swallow’s efficient harmonic conduction, and the warmly persuasive guitar work of Scofield, who maintains the singing quality of a tune that in 1979 was sung by Sheila Jordan. It’s not difficult to conclude that groove is everywhere. “Hullo Bolinas” is another piece in 3/4 that resists the striking predominance of 4/4 tempos and fiercely swinging attitude.

Ingratiated by Stewart’s straight eights, “Falling Grace” is a fancifully articulated post-bop ride issued with lots of rapture. In addition to a spiraling guitar solo cooked with single-note phrases, octave approaches, and angular intervals, it’s easy to behold Swallow’s groundwork while he comfortably pads across the swing. This piece is deeply associated with Gary Burton’s groups, just like “Portsmouth Figurations”. The latter composition has the loose feel of a pleasant recollection and comes bolstered by psychedelic chords at some point. Scofield’s playing is adventurous, but never anarchic, and the tune gets better and better as the trio moves toward an epic finale.

Originally an up-tempo romp, “Awful Coffee” was slowed down for this album with a languorous groove and velvety texture, yet maintaining the bluesy feel. The nature of the piece compelled the stringed instrument players to trade fours with the drummer, and, along the way, Scofield also provides nimble arpeggiated gestures, shifting figures, and keen harmonic choices to accompany his own discourse. On the contrary, “Eiderdown” shake us up with bursts of hard-swinging energy.

“Away” is a short-form ballad whose ample space facilitates the emotional flow, whereas “In F” is a tongue-in-cheek exercise that straddles the worlds of funk, soul, and jazz with subtlety. It comes equipped with churning bass lines, smart percussive chops, and that feel-good factor that characterizes the music of these players. Their musical relationship pops like champagne bubbles, and the record, not being a masterpiece, carries the all-around colorful sonics one should expect from a trio of this calibre.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - She Was Young ► 02 - Falling Grace ► 05 - Eiderdown

Hudson: DeJohnette, Grenadier, Medeski, Scofield - Hudson

September 21, 2017

Label/Year: Motema, 2017

Lineup - John Scofield: guitar; John Medeski: keyboards; Larry Grenadier: bass; Jack DeJohnette: drums.

In my mind, the word Hudson establishes an immediate link to the river that flows through eastern New York, which includes the Hudson River Valley and its adjacent communities. However, and from now on, it will also be associated to a super quartet composed of colossal jazz musicians, namely, drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Larry Grenadier, guitarist John Scofield, and keyboardist John Medeski. From different generations, they nonetheless share similar music tastes and the fun of creating together.

Their first album, equally entitled Hudson, brings not only originals but also curious renditions of tunes by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, The Band, and even Jimi Hendrix in a clear celebration of the music from the late 60s and early 70s.

The title track, the only piece credited to the collective, opens the record rooted in an off-the-cuff funky groove, coalescing with the surrounding noirish drones created by Medeski and generating an exuberant milieu for Scofield’s sometimes-lachrymose, sometimes-vigorous stringed chatters.
“El Swing”, the following tune, is a product of the guitarist’s mind and mirrors all his compositional adroitness and flair for fusion. The structure accommodates a migrant folk melody on top of a rock music web, which, despite closely knit, arrives reinforced by unabashed power-chords. This scenario is seamlessly linked to swing passages, where the tension accumulated is momentarily released with groove and laid-back discipline.

The subsequent four tracks allow us to picture the past with vivid colors of the present, starting with Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay”, here deeply immersed in warm Jamaican waters to acquire the intended reggae complexion. The melodic insinuations come almost exclusively from Scofields’s driving vocabulary.

After reviving “Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell with idiosyncrasy and nostalgic devotion, the band crafts “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall”, another song by Dylan turned into a highly atmospheric concoction of folk, jazz, and blues, and where Medeski feels compelled to deconstruct a bit, employing vaporous abstractions that steal the spotlight from Scofield.

On Hendrix’s “Wait Until Tomorrow”, the blues elements remain strongly central, even if the rock contortions threaten to take over the setting. The Hendrixian side of Scofield doesn’t disappoint and packs an intense punch while Grenadier and DeJohnette respond accordingly. The former, introducing clipping bass slides and plucking the strings with pure enchantment; the latter, by sending in propulsive flares with a double purpose: embellish and push forward.

The drummer, a true living legend, not only brings three assorted compositions of his authorship into the game, but also sings on two of them. If “Song For World Forgiveness” embraces a conscious pop air after an enigmatic introductory section, “Dirty Ground”, co-written with the pianist/singer Bruce Hornsby, is reminiscent of the latter’s gospel-tinged pop/rock, whereas the optimistic “Great Spirit Peace Chant” is sketched out with indigenous woodwinds and vocals over regular tom-tom thumps.

Not as powerful as some of the projects in which the members of the quartet have been involved lately, Hudson still blooms with a sumptuous elegance and ostensible effortlessness proper of the masters.
To me, not every song reached the same level, but one can’t deny the involving sound and scorching vibrancy drawn by the amalgam of moody blues and several other styles.

Favorite Tracks:
02 – El Swing ► 05 – A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall ► 06 – Wait Until Tomorrow