Articles

Scenes: Trapeze

By Paul Rauch

The storyline for the Pacific Northwest-based band Scenes began in 1983, when drummer John Bishop and guitarist John Stowell began playing together in Portland and Seattle. When bassist Jeff Johnson arrived in Seattle in 1989, he began playing a weekly trio gig with Bishop and tenor saxophonist Rick Mandyck. Stowell, already frequently traveling abroad to play and teach, would drop by every so often to play.The quartet wouldn't get around to record until 2001, releasing Scenes on the ...

Scenes: Destinations

By Dan Bilawsky

There are wondrous stories to be found in everything the eye can see, the ear can hear, and the imagination can dream up. Scenes--the trio of guitarist John Stowell, bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop--has been readily and steadily making that point for more than fifteen years, harnessing natural beauty and concocting chimerical designs that extol the virtues of elasticity, mutability, and high-level communication. The Pacific Northwest knows no greater champion of its beyond-words beauty than this outfit.

Scenes: ...but not heard

By Dan McClenaghan

ECM Records has been noted for its “Nordic Cool," school, from its many recordings of Scandinavian artists, with pianist Tord Gustavsen coming most readily to mind. Seattle's Origin Records has what can be called its “Northwest U.S. Cool" with recordings from bassist Jeff Johnson, saxophonist Hans Teuber, and the collective trio Scenes, with guitarist John Stowell, drummer John Bishop and, again, Jeff Johnson on bass. Scenes' eponymous debut disc in 2001 featured the core trio and saxophonist Rick ...

Scenes: Along the Way

By Bill Bennett

The scenes along the way here are generally bucolic ones, awash with that distinctive just after the sundown light celebrated by photographers. It's a contemplative journey--"no hurry, no worry," as the cliché goes. The tempos are relaxed, the timbres unfailingly warm. Subtlety is the key word. This amiable, polished music never clamors for your attention; however, a little deep listening will yield many aural delights.

Guitarist John Stowell plays with a full, rich, bottom heavy tone and possesses a strikingly ...

Scenes: Along the Way

By John Kelman

It's easier to impress listeners with virtuosity than subtlety and nuance, but thankfully there are those who take the road less traveled. Along the Way, the second release by Scenes, is the result of three musicians being comfortable in their own skins and having nothing to prove. The vibe may be relaxed and the delivery spacious, but this music proves that one should never mistake comfort for complacency.

Guitarist John Stowell has had a lengthy career with a series of ...

John Bishop/Jeff Johnson/Rick Mandyck/John Stowell: Scenes

By Joseph Blake

Guitarist John Stowell's liner notes to this recently released CD makes Scenes sound almost serendipitous. He writes that “I suggested that we make a little music and turn on the tapes if we liked the chemistry...We did a couple of gigs in Seattle and went into the studio for a couple of sessions."

Stowell and drummer John Bishop produced the two sessions recorded at Seattle's Ironwood Studios. They showcase the quartet's very democratic approach on a repertoire including Tom Harrell's ...