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2006-09-15
7:30PM
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"It isn't surprising that John Scofield spent some time in Miles Davis' employ. Like that innovative trumpeter, Scofield has always had a restless spirit. One never knows what to expect"
- Alex Henderson, AllMusic Guide
"Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, fusion, and soul jazz."
- Scott Yanow, AllMusic Guide |
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| John Scofield Trio **SOLD OUT** |
FEATURING:
John Scofield - guitar
Steve Swallow - bass
Bill Stewart - drums |
It's a frigid December night during the coldest winter in recent memory. Entering New York City's Blue Note jazz club, you pass through the darkened foyer, proceed through the bar and settle at a table in front of the narrow stage. The lights dim. "Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer says, "please welcome the JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO!"
Suddenly, the cold weather outside is a distant memory, chased away by the heat generated by three great musicians hitting their stride. Old friends and longtime musical partners, guitarist John Scofield and his trio mates' bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart are aglow with camaraderie and spontaneous invention. The three throw off sparks as they bob, dip and weave through a tightly knit set of jazz standards and savvy original compositions. More than just a collection of tunes, the trio is playing music that embodies the spirit that has kept jazz vigorous and visceral since its birth.
Hundreds of fortunate music fans, residents and visitors alike shared this experience when the John Scofield Trio played that week in December 2003. If you were there, you'll always remember it. And happily, Verve Records was there as well, preserving the experience for posterity as EnRoute, Scofield's seventh Verve release.
Previously recorded outings by Scofield have found him performing in elaborate settings. His works range from the plugged-in, electronically tweaked jamming of his last Verve release, Up All Night, to the full orchestral setting of the recent Scorched, a collaboration with British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage issued earlier this year on the venerable classical imprint, Deutsche Grammophon. But for EnRoute, Scofield wanted to focus on the high-wire interaction of a small, closely knit band in the heat of a live setting. He arrived at the Blue Note armed only with his trusty guitar, amp and whammy pedal, and left his more elaborate electronic gear at home.
"I wanted to make a real jazz-improvising statement in a live situation with two of my favorite musicians," Scofield says. "It's really challenging. You don't rely on arrangements as much as on the way the group plays together. You don't rely on anything other than good playing, and you know there's no lifejacket or safety net involved. That doesn't happen as often in a studio setting: I think the big difference is the audience. There is a symbiotic affinity between the artists and the audience that makes for something special."
And in the end, that's what EnRoute is all about: three musicians grooving in front of an enthusiastic audience and the special synergy that unfolds between them. "It's impossible to judge your own work completely," Scofield says, "but I think this is some of my best playing. We definitely hooked up as a group, and it brought us to places we don't usually get in the studio."
www.johnscofield.com |
