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| John Scofield's Emarcy Debut A principal innovator of modern jazz guitar, John Scofield has expressed himself in the vernacular of bebop, blues, jazz-funk, organ jazz, acoustic chamber jazz, electronically tinged groove music and orchestral ensembles with ease and enthusiasm. From early on, his versatility and technical mastery won him sideman gigs with Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker and Cobham/Duke among many. Regardless of the stylistic setting, his distinct guitar sound and compositions are unmistakably Scofieldesque, always coupled with an improvisational excellence dedicated to the finest in jazz tradition. Following celebrated runs on the Enja, Arista, Gramavision, Blue Note and Verve labels, Scofield is proud to release his first project for Emarcy, This Meets That, which will be available September 18. The album finds Scofield once again in the company of what he calls his “A-Team” - bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart. “Steve has been a huge part of my development since I met him in 1973,” John says. “Now we're aged contemporaries, but when it started, he was the established great and I was the kid.” As for Stewart: “From the first time I heard him I loved his snap crackle, you know? He usually takes the best solo of the night, in the most musical way. The three of us have an intimacy in our musical exchange that only exists after like-minded individuals play together for decades. It's really special for me. “ Joining the trio is a four-part horn section featuring Roger Rosenberg on baritone sax and bass clarinet, Jim Pugh on trombone, Lawrence Feldman on tenor sax and flutes and John Swana on trumpet and flugelhorn. A special treat, one tune also features special guest and long time friend Bill Frisell on tremolo guitar. The originals on This Meets That are tunes that Scofield and company first performed as a trio, and they retain their loose and jazzy immediacy here. This Meets That is textural and lush, but also has a raw and visceral impact thanks to Scofield's often biting guitar tone and the trio's rhythmic energy. “All these tunes swing,” Scofield points out. “One may be funky, another may be country, but the swing element is important to all of them.” Scofield's lyrical rendering of the 70s Charlie Rich country hit “Behind Closed Doors” is further evidence of his omnivorous musical taste. This Meets That also includes a riotous version of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. “That and 'House of the Rising Sun' are two of the first songs I ever learned on the guitar,” he recalled. “I took up the guitar at 11, and after perfecting Greensleeves and some other delicate folk faves, these tunes were really my start. Jazz came a few years later.” With This Meets That and his move to Emarcy, Scofield continues his creative and unpredictable journey as a contemporary jazz master. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |