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*** John Scofield ***


Aggie87

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Just noticed this on alankin's list:

John Scofield - Live Three Ways (Blue Note) - June 24 - 1990

Anybody have any information on this release? The link to CD Universe doesn't provide much info, neither does the BN site. I'll make the obvious observation that it's a 1990 live recording. At any rate, that's three Scofield albums in the span of 5 months! Don't know if too many artists are being released at that pace these days...

I picked up Up All Night last weekend, but it's still in the on-deck circle. Will post my impressions hopefully soon. Anybody else grabbed it yet?

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Hi Aggie

Live Three Ways is actually a video. I'm not sure where it was recorded, but it has Sco playing with three different lineups in one show. The first is an absolutely killin' trio with Don Pullen on B-3 and Marvin Smith on drums. Then there's a duet with Dr. John, and finally a quartet with Lovano, John Riley, and ... I can picture the bassist but can't remember his name. I wonder if this being re-released in dvd format or something? It's worth checking into, for the trio alone. Pullen absolutely smokes!

I haven't bought Up All Night yet. I'll probably wait for it to show up in BMG's catalog so I can get it cheap. The downside is having to wait, but I've got plenty to listen to in the meantime.

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I've spun Up All Night a few times this week now, and think it's great! It's definitely in the groove camp though, so if you like your Sco straightahead (like Works for Me and Scolohofo), then this ain't it. I'll give this one 4 out of 5 stars.

Personally I like this album better than überjam, which ain't too shabby either. Scofield sounds great in this setting with a rhythm guitarist, which he hasn't done too much (if any?) of in the past. His past work with other guitarists has mainly been with "costars", like Frisell, Metheny, Abercrombie, etc. I'm not sure if I'm really saying that right, since I realize even those guys take turns in the spotlight versus playing in a support mode.

Highlights so far include "Watch out for Po Po", with some fun audience singalong, and "Freakin' Disco", with it's "chucka chucka" guitar (not sure what that's really called, just what I've called it for 20+ years). Also a nice cover of the R&B hit, "Whatcha See is Whatcha Get".

Joe - BMG seems to sell stuff like this about 3-4 months after it is originally released. Hope you can wait that long!

Also, that Live Three Ways appears to be a cd release, not a DVD/video. It's probably the music from the video. But it's listed in the "music' section of CD Universe, and lists for $11.98, with a sale price of $8.39. It's due to be released next Tuesday, 6/24. Perhaps Alan can confirm that this is a music cd?

Edited by Aggie87
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I'm interested to find out what's up with Live Three Ways. There may be additional material that's been added.

I've heard a couple cuts from Up All Night on the radio, as well as hearing some of the tunes in concert recently, including the ones you mentioned. I like what I've heard and will be watching for it to show up at BMG. It would be a nice disc to have now that summertime is here though. :party:

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Live Three Ways Update:

I noticed on CD Universe's website that this item was now in "backordered" status. So I emailed them asking about it, and mentioned that I had not seen any notice of it anywhere else on the internet, including Blue Note's site.

They responded and said that is is currently not available, and that they think the release date was postponed by the manufacturer. So I'm not sure when it's coming out, if at all. I doubt it was ever really coming out, if CD Universe was the only ones who had ever mentioned it. And I still don't know if it was a re-release of the video, or an actual CD.

Oh well, at least I can enjoy "Up All Night", which is a really fun disc!

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  • 2 months later...

Picked up a personal "nice find" the other day - I found a copy of Sco's "East Meets West" on CD!

This is his very first leader date from 1977, and is on the Blackhawk label. It's largely a trio date, with Clint Houston on bass and Motohiko Hino on drums. Terumasu Hino sits in on two tracks on trumpet. Scofield was on tour in Japan with Terumasu, and apparently went into the studio there to record this one. It's

definitely EARLY Sco, but it's him.

I only have two more Scofield leader dates to track down to complete my collection, "John Scofield Live" from 1977 also, and "Bar Talk" from 1980. Anyone out there got a spare copy of either of these for trade/sale?

PS - Joe, if you didn't catch it already, Up All Night is available from BMG now (as is scolohofo).

-Erik

Edited by Aggie87
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Yeah, I've got three or four freebies coming, and UAN will be one of them.

A friend of mine had East Meets West on vinyl, and we listened to it one time several years ago. I remember the drummer stepping on some toes, but it was a fun session. The early date I'm keeping an eye out for is Out Like a Light. That's a burning date.

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Bringing this thread back up because no one's mentioned WORKS FOR ME yet. I recently checked this out (after discovering Billy Higgins is on it), and I have to say that--me not being all that familiar with Sco's music--this sucker blew me away!!! Higgins is awesome, of course, but the rest of that band: this is my first real exposure not only to Sco, but also Brad Mehldau as well!

(Edit: after further searching, I discovered that not a lot of people liked this record. Wonder why? It wouldn't be the first time I'm in the minority where music is concerned, but I really dug this album!)

So now I'm checking out song clips, and so far I like what I've heard where A GO-GO is concerned. Any of his other recent works to recommend?

Edited by Big Al
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My first Sco side is in many ways STILL my favorite. Who's Who? consists of two very interesting sessions- one w/Kenny Kirkland, Anthony Jackson and Steve Jordan (whatever happened to him?). The other group has a very different but equally interesting vibe- Dave Liebman, Eddie Gomez and Billy Hart. I still pull this one out more often than some of the newer things.

I'm also a big fan of the more recent Quiet. Love that one.

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Big Al - The answer is it depends on whatcha lookin' for. Sco has played straight-ahead, funk, acoustic, trio settings, etc. Not to mention any of his sideman appearances.

If you liked "Works for Me" I'd check out this year's "scolohofo" recording. Also his BNs with Lovano are great! I like "Works for Me" but find it a little on the tame side. I wish they had pushed each other just a little more, or something.

If you like the groove stuff (and I'm guessing you do!), "a Go Go" is a great collaboration with Medeski Martin & Wood. It's follow up "Bump" is in the same vein, but with mainly different musicians, and is also good. Last year's "uberjam" and the recent "Up All Night" are also funky and alot of fun! And b3-er's suggestion of "Groove Elation" and "Hand Jive" are great collaborations with Larry Goldings.

"Quiet" is a nice mellow acoustic album, which includes Wayne Shorter on a few cuts.

And another BN date that I like alot is "Grace Under Pressure", which is his collaboration with Bill Frisell. I like this one better than the one with Metheny, "I Can See Your House from Here".

b3-er - no good news on "Live Three Ways" as far as I can tell. I think it was simply a mistake by CD Universe. I hope it gets released on CD at some point though.

-Erik

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Sorry for the brief tangent-

Erik, I understand you're an Aggie (obviously). I went to grad school at UT Austin.

Did the Aggies really steal Bevo once and serve him barbecued to the UT football team? Or is that just "urban legend"?

I hope you're enjoying Germany- it's a long way from Texas. I would assume your German friends have got to be giving you shit about being from the land of Dubya.

Hook'em Horns!

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Although the recent jam-band stuff isn't my cup of tea, I've been a big Sco fan for ages. Just to demonstrate my great age, the first time I saw him live was 27 years ago! He was playing with Gerry Mulligan in a club in New York in 1976...

My favorite incarnation is his trio with Steve Swallow. I saw the original version, with Adam Nussbaum on drums, many a time in the 80's. Nowadays he usually does an annual European tour with Swallow and Bill Stewart. They're passing through town next year, and I'll be there!

Edit: I meant next week, Sept. 12!

Edited by Tom Storer
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Free For All -

I am indeed an Aggie (*insert gratuitous Aggie joke here*). After doing some research online, I tend to believe that this is indeed an urban legend.

However, BEVO was indeed stolen by the Aggies on a number of occasions. The first was in 1916, when the nameless cow was stolen and branded with the score from the previous Aggie win, "13-0". The Longhorns ended up modifying this brand into the letters "BEVO", and the name stuck. There are some Longhorn sites that actually deny this happened, and that they named BEVO for the Czech word for beer, "PIVO", but I'm pretty much convinced this is wishful thinking.

One time in the 1970's, some Aggies successfully kidnapped BEVO and actually cut its horns off, I assume in the spirit of the Aggie War Hymn, part of which includes the lines "Saw Varsity's Horns Off" (Varsity being an old nickname for the Longhorns way back). On another occasion in the 1970s, some Aggies with WAY too much time on their hands actually enrolled at UT, and charmed their way into the good graces of BEVO's handlers, and successfully kidnapped him.

UT students were successful in kidnapping A&M's mascot "Reveille" (a collie) also, though as far as I know this has only happened once. All of the other mascots from the old Southwest Conference were also kidnapped at various points in time. Apparently this was considered quite fun back in the old days.

And yes, back when Bush was first campaigning for the presidency, and when he first took office, I had quite a number of conversations with German friends and colleagues about his background, and (primarily) the death penalty in Texas. Most of them only knew about that because of Bush. I had to explain that it has been going on in Texas for a long time, through both Democratic and Republican governors. It's pretty much an inconceivable idea for most of them.

-Erik

Gig'em Aggies!

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Restarting the Sco-corner, since mjzee apparently isn't around any more (hope I don't end up just talking to myself about Sco)...

ascodenver.jpg

Anyway, I found two Scofield related items at my used store, but haven't pulled the trigger on either. Can anyone recommend either of these titles:

Eero Koivistoinen (try saying that fast!)- Picture in Three Colours, Core Records 1983 (also includes Jack DeJohnette)

and

All Strings Attached, Verve 1987 - some sort of guitar summit or something, with John Abercrombie, Larry Carlton, Larry Coryell, Tal Farlow, and John Patitucci

Thanks,

Erik

Great picture of Johnny B Bald. From the expression on his face, it looks like the battery of his chorus/flanger crutch just died. Hopefully there wasn't much of a "delay" before the Energizer Bunny showed up.

Sorry, I got tired of "JBB" long ago. His solo on Hancock's version of "Norwegian Wood" soured me on "JBB" for at least another decade. Someone should have wacked him in the head with a 2x4 for that "solo". Seriously, he sounds exactly as he did on "Still Warm", a title the antithesis of his style.

All IM"H"O of course. Carry on.

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Although the recent jam-band stuff isn't my cup of tea, I've been a big Sco fan for ages. Just to demonstrate my great age, the first time I saw him live was 27 years ago! He was playing with Gerry Mulligan in a club in New York in 1976...

My favorite incarnation is his trio with Steve Swallow. I saw the original version, with Adam Nussbaum on drums, many a time in the 80's. Nowadays he usually does an annual European tour with Swallow and Bill Stewart. They're passing through town next year, and I'll be there!

Edit: I meant next week, Sept. 12!

I read that Sco's supposed to be recording this trio sometime at the end of this year.

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  • 1 month later...

Came across a new (to me) Scofield disc yesterday, called "Shortcuts! Jazzpar Combo 1999", with Hans Ulrik, Lars Danielsson, and Peter Erskine. It's a mix of studio and live tracks, on Stunt Records. It's a very good recording, and the group play in a style similar to the scolohofo group. But it seems to have a little more life to it than that disc does - something to do with expectations in both cases I guess.

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Worth picking up if you come across it!

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  • 4 weeks later...

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Picked up another Sco item yesterday, that's pretty damn good! It's called "East Coast Blow Out". The nominal leader appears to be Jim McNeely, though my copy has a different cover than the one above - McNeely's name has been de-emphasized, and Scofield's name is now at the top of the list. Well worth grabbing if you see it anywhere.

These are the kinds of things I'm gonna miss when I leave Germany on the 24th and return to Texas :(

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Following up on Walker's comment above, I just noticed on Sco's website that the trio (w/Swallow & Stewart) are appearing Dec 9-14 at the Blue Note, and that they will be making a live recording set for release in May 04. Schmokin!

Also on the tour front, he'll be at the same place in a duo setting with Charlie Haden on Jan 22/23, for anyone interested (Haden's apparently doing some guitar duet thing there that week - w/Bill Frisell on 20/21st, and with Jim Hall on 24/25th).

And for those of you on the Left Coast, there's a one-off at Yoshi's with Jack DeJohnette and Larry Goldings on Feb 16th - "Celebrating the Music of Tony William's Lifetime"

I'd love to be there for all of these shows!!

Edited by Aggie87
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