Tracks Of My Years: John Scofield

The axeman cometh…

n true GG fashion, we were just chancing our arm when we emailed jazz guitar legend John Scofield directly.

The organisers of this weekend’s Bray Jazz Festival had gone through the proper channels when we requested an interview, getting in touch with the 67-year-old maestro’s agent, but, answer came there none.

So, we tried emailing John directly. And, just to double our chances, his wife, Susan, too.

Miraculously, Susan Scofield answered our call.

She liked the fact that we had referred to the two lovebirds – who celebrated their 40th anniversary last year – as ‘kids’. Susan was quick to quip that her husband ‘is a senior citizen!‘.

The couple also liked that we had dubbed John as ‘this young Dayton deity‘ (having been born in Dayton, Ohio, on December 26th, 1951) and ‘the Wilton wonder‘ (the Scofields relocating to the rural Connecticut town early on).

The request had been for those songs that had inspired John to get all the way from there to here. Along the way, he attended the Berklee College of Music, leaving the prestigious Boston school to record with Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. As you do. Shortly after, the twenty-something guitarist joined the Billy Cobham/George Duke Band, spending two years on the road and in the studio with the acclaimed drummer and keyboard player before recording with Charles Mingus, and
then replacing Pat Metheny in Gary Burton’s quartet.

At this point, any of you who know your jazz should be thumping the table in 7/3 time. But, eh, it gets better for the bould John.

Releasing his eponymous debut album in 1977, Scofield recorded with pianist Hal Galpin for his second album, Rough House, in 1978 before returning the favour and recording on Galpin’s Ivory Forest in 1980. Which was just after a year after the formation of a trio with Scofield’s mentor, Steve Swallow, and drummer Adam Nussbaum.

All of which must have impressed the hell out of one of jazz’s true pioneers, Miles Davis, who worked with Scofield in the early 1980s on three albums – Star People, Decoy and You’re Under Arrest. Followed shortly after by John’s own albums, Electric Outlet and Still Warm.

And that’s when, you know, Scofield got busy, working with just about everyone who was anyone in jazz over the ensuing years – including Bill Frisell, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Gov’t Mule and The Metropole Orchestra – whilst also managing to release approximately 4,237 albums over the last four decades. Or 5,697, if you include the live albums.

And if all that wasn’t enough, in 2010, the man was named an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture, and is currently serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Jazz Department at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education.

With that Davis fella…

And now this flash fecker is coming all the way to Bray, for that annual jazz love-in. Running this year from Friday, May 3rd to Sunday May 5th, you can check out the full programme here. And catch John’s Combo 66 at The Mermaid on Saturday right here. 

Currently on a short tour of Europe, when we told Susan that we were looking for those damn songs that could make John break down and cry, she pointed out that songs don’t tend to leave her husband blubbing but, ‘he’s a sentimental man and does tear up occasionally‘.

So, whilst he may have compiled this list without having to reach for a box of tissues, young John does, we’re reassured, ‘get chills’ whenever he these records spin around in his head…

George Jones Greatest Hits
One of Nashville’s finest, this Saratoga soak regularly hit Hank heights with his three minutes of sweet heartache and regret.

Charlie Parker Charlie Parker With Strings
When Bird played, none of us were in his hometown of Kansas anymore, as Charles Parker Jr took jazz to dizzying new depths.

The Band Music from Big Pink
The debut album from the Canadian cats who helped Dylan go eclectic, and eccentric. Imagine The Eagles without all the Photoshop.

Miles Davis Someday My Prince Will Come
The seventh studio album from the ever-changing Miles caught a man whose career was in flux. Not that the man himself gave two fux, pulling together his working quintet for this standards kiss on both cheeks.

Dionne Warwick Alfie
Written by Bacharach & David for the 1966 Michael Caine film of the same name, Cilla Black took it to the top of the UK charts, whilst Whitney Houston’s rather talented auntie seduced the US.

John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman My One And Only Love
It’s a song that’s been covered by everyone from Sinatra and Ella to Kurt Elling and, eh, Halie Loren, but this 1963 recording by Coltrane and Louisiana lounge lizard Hartman might just be the finest take on Guy Wood and Robert Mellin’s 1952 creation.

Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram Somewhere Out There
From the so-so 1986 Don Bluth animated offering An American Tail, Spielberg fave James Horner worked with hit songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil for this Over The Rainbow wannabe, sung by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram over the closing credits. And Fievel and Tanya in the movie. Who knew, Scofield is a big softy at heart…

You can find out more about John Scofield on his website right here, and about this weekend’s Bray Jazz Festival right about here.