John Scofield, a perennial poll winner in both Down Beat critics' and readers' polls in the electric guitar and electric group categories, returns to his funkafied roots on A Go Go, his eagerly awaited followup to last year's evocative acoustic album, Quiet. Joining forces with the premiere groovemeisters on the neo-funk scene today -- Billy Martin, John Medeski, and Chris Wood -- Scofield bears down on his ax and gets down with a vengeance. The result is a marriage made in goodfoot heaven; a syncopated summit meeting of two very potent voices in jazz.

From the opening strains of the cosmic-earthy title track "A Go Go" to the infectiously slinky "Chank", the downright nasty "Hottentot" and the slow-grooving "Chicken Dog", it's clear that Scofield is digging deep into a style reminiscent of a James Brown-cum-Meters-style bag. That groove-oriented territory provided common ground for the guitar great and the organ-bass-drums trio of Billy Martin, John Medeski, and Chris Wood. Indeed, Scofield felt an instant affinity with his soulful and inventive collaborators.

"The hookup was so strong on this session," he says. "Everything worked from the first note we played together and the chemistry was there. When I first heard them I remember thinking, 'Yeah, I could play with these guys.' Then when I checked out (1996's) Shack-man and I thought, 'Man, I gotta play with these guys.' Their rhythmic concept has a unique quality that's hard to find and it compliments my idea of a groove perfectly."

It took only five rehearsals to hone the Scofield compositions for the project. The album was cut in three days at Avatar Studios in Manhattan. The session was spurred to even greater heights by the organic nature of the organ trio's forward momentum. Scofield was elated to record with a working band. "Billy, John, and Chris are each stellar musicians on their own, and together, they're unbeatable. The way they work on music is fantastic," he explained. "Because they're already so comfortable playing with each other, they ended up interpreting my tunes in a really special way that only an existing group can do. Some of my tunes came out differently than I had imagined because of what those guys brought to the table."

The explosive synergy of Scofield with Billy Martin, John Medeski, and Chris Wood culminated from both the cohesive sound of the group and the unique artistic expressions of each of these extraodinarily talented musicians. "I'm a drum fanatic and Billy Martin's got a groove and a half," says Scofield of the young drummer. Scofield's praise for the power trio doesn't stop there. "Chris Woods, the bass player, plays the right thing every time. He's really inventive without giving up the bottom," Scofield explained. "And John Medeski is just amazing. He covers so many parts on the keyboards and he's so spontaneous and creative, which brought out the best in me."

The tunes, written specifically with this ensemble in mind, provide a perfect medium for the exemplary performances. Scofield has fashioned a collective of groove and melody that drives get-up-and-boogie funk to the core without sacrificing an ounce of satisfaction for the brain -- an auditory roller-coaster ride of simplicity and complexity. All groove and funk elements are well met within -- deep and scary, wild and uplifting, fun, dangerous but comforting in its gratification.

The title track, "A Go Go", blisters yet soothes simultaneously. The ultra-nasty "Chank" (aptly named for Jimmy "Chank" Nolan, guitar player for James Brown), the primal groove of "Boozer", the brightness of "Jeep on 35", the lowdown and dirty power of "Hottentot", each flesh out a vibe of their own. "Kubrick", a dreamy soundscape, segues neatly into the subdued "Green Tea", providing a bit of breathing space in the center of the record; a cool oasis amid the passionate, undulating rhythm that prevails on either side. From the New Orleans heat of "Southern Pacific", through the unadulterated slam of "Chicken Dog", to the heady, left-of-center "Deadzy"; every composition interlocks to form a tight and satisfying listen from start to finish.

"This album is a return for me," says Scofield. "I'm singling out elements that have always been a part of my playing and I'm bringing them to the foreground with a new attitude, reflecting the influences of what I've been doing since my past foray into this genre. I loved making this record."