John Scofield, Combo 66 Review

Editor's PickJazz

john-schofield-staccatofy-cd

John Scofield is celebrating his sixty-sixth birthday with a new album titled, Combo 66. The Grammy Award-winning jazz guitarist, band leader and composer is joined by long-time drummer Bill Stewart, bassist Vincente Archer and pianist/organist Gerald Clayton. The band combines jazz with genre-defying elements, as they explore ten original Scofield tracks. Scofield’s unique sound blends nicely with Clayton’s style of playing and the quartet as a whole speaks a language that both pushes jazz forward, while still staying anchored in the fundamentals that make the music so vibrant. That vibrancy is rhythm and Sco’s got it! That’s the short of it!

Positives:

Fascinating new compositions that offer a variety of feels and harmonic settings for the quartet to explore. The solos are first-rate, and the music has a great feel. Honestly, that is what you look for in great jazz.

Bottom Line:

John Scofield’s Combo 66 demonstrates that the guitarist is still exploring and seeking new shapes and colors on his instrument and compositions. His melodic and harmonic shapes are surprisingly current as his semi-hollow-body electric guitar easily converts both warm and grit when either are needed. Scofield’s relaxed rhythmic style, even on the up-tempo selections, is always lyrical and his phrasing is impeccable. Great album from a quartet of top-genre players.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.