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John Scofield: That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays The Music of Ray Charles
by John Kelman
It's usually best to assess a project on its own merits, rather than getting caught up in expectation or preconception. Fans of guitarist John Scofield's more jazz-centric work, including his early-'90s Blue Note work and his recent recording EnRoute, will undoubtedly find the glossy production of That's What I Say disappointing and, well, a little safe. But of all the high-visibility jazz guitarists on today's scene, Scofield is unquestionably best-suited to a project of this nature. While he has the ...
Continue ReadingJohn Scofield: Live 3 Ways
by Riel Lazarus
John Scofield Live 3 Ways Blue Note Records 2005
15 years ago last May, guitarist John Scofield dusted off a few of his many musical hats before cameras at Chelsea Studios in New York. The result, recently released on DVD, is a tightly knit bonnet of jazz, blues and soul, underscored as always by Scofield's distinct guitar sound. The “3 Ways of the disc's title refer to the three separate ensembles ...
Continue ReadingJohn Scofield: Eclecticism in Action
by AAJ Staff
On his website, jazz guitarist extraordinaire John Scofield has written a short piece that follows the official record company bios for his last two Verve recordings, EnRoute and Up All Night. It's called “How I Got From There to Here in 704 Easy Words. Scofield traces the arc of his career in the essay, from his days playing jazz-fusion with the likes of Billy Cobham and Miles Davis, to producing a string of powerful and stylistically eclectic recordings for the ...
Continue ReadingJohn Scofield: Up Close & Personal
by David Miller
No different from your prototypical professor, John Scofield is eager to chat (be it to audiences or to interviewers) and eager to hear from fresh young minds. Hence his trio's current tour of college campuses on a co-bill with the Brad Mehldau Trio. But John Scofield is not your prototypical professor. A master jazz improviser, he has a canon of work that rivals any of the greats. And he's just getting started.Along the way, Scofield has played with ...
Continue ReadingJohn Scofield: Live 3 Ways
by John Kelman
John Scofield Live 3 Ways Blue Note Recorded 1990; DVD released 2005
At long last Blue Note is digging into their archives and reissuing some of their concert footage, previously only available on long out-of-print videotape, on DVD. While these are bare bones releases -- nothing in the way of special features to speak of -- they stand on their own as documents that are vital on their own merits.
Arguably the best of ...
Continue ReadingJohn Scofield Trio: EnRoute
by AAJ Staff
Cerebral jazz fans play in the same sound box as the John Scofield Trio does for 73 minutes of collective prowess. EnRoute is aptly named, for it is a musical journey whose speculative effect needs no conclusion. The trip is worth a long ride and that is what we get. John Scofield’s exercise of unconventional playing embraces the kind of musical exploration that drives jazz forward with optimism. In nine songs, Scofield articulates ideas whose foundations transcend so many boundaries ...
Continue ReadingThe John Scofield Trio: EnRoute
by Doug Collette
EnRoute may be one of the most remarkable recordings John Scofield has made during a redoubtable career that includes a stint with Miles Davis, a tenure with Billy Cobham, and projects with the likes of Pat Metheny and Medeski Martin & Wood. The level of inspiration on this live set recorded last December at the Blue Note in New York is usually the result of constant roadwork on the part of players who have been together for years at a ...
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