John Scofield Quiet CD

Though guitarist John Scofield eventually became best known as a purveyor of funky, jam-happy fusion, QUIET is a wonderful anomaly in his catalog. Leaving funk grooves (and even electric guitar) far behind, Scofield wields an acoustic axe here on a batch of tunes that are subtle, complex, and involving. One of the most evocative aspects of these tracks is the ghostly presence of the woodwinds and horns, which Scofield himself arranged with an able blend of warmth, ethereal atmosphere, and intriguingly knotty angularity. Having jazz titan Wayne Shorter helping out on sax doesn't hurt these tunes either, and QUIET stands out as an atypical but arresting corner of Scofield's extensive catalog.

With Wayne Shorter

Recorded at The Power Station, New York, New York and Pyramid Sound, Los Angeles, California in April 1996.

Personnel: John Scofield (guitar, acoustic guitar); Lawrence Feldman (flute, alto flute, tenor saxophone); Charles Pillow (alto flute, English horn, tenor saxophone); Roger Rosenberg (bass clarinet); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Howard Johnson (baritone saxophone, tuba); Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn); Fred Griffen, John Clark (French horn); Duduka Da Fonseca, Bill Stewart (drums).

Audio Mixer: Joe Ferla.

Recording information: Power Station, NY (04/03/1996-04/08/1996); Pyramid Sound, Los Angeles, CA (04/03/1996-04/08/1996).

Photographers: Karen Kuehn; Arnold Turner; Jimmy Katz.

Arrangers: Steve Swallow ; John Scofield.

Personnel: John Scofield (nylon-string acoustic guitar); Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone); Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Clark, Fred Griffen (French horn); Howard Johnson (tuba, baritone saxophone); Charles Pillow (alto flute, English horn, tenor saxophone); Lawrence Feldman (alto flute, flute, tenor saxophone); Roger Rosenberg (bass clarinet); Steve Swallow (bass); Bill Stewart, Duduka Da Fonseca (drums).

Entertainment Weekly (10/04/96, p.63) - "...Scofield's concise improvisations share the same concern for finely etched melody as his memorable compositions. Exceptional contributions by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and bassist Steve Swallow help cement this as a late-season entry for jazz record of the year." - Rating: A
Q (11/8/96, p.134) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...generally intriguing, if slightly homogeneous..."
Down Beat (11/96, p.54) - 4.5 Stars - Very Good/Excellent - "...The acoustic Scofield is a kinder, gentler musical personality than the electric one, but no less audacious. QUIET is one long, sinuous unwinding of imaginative guitar intelligence which always starts from songs that linger in the mind..."
Musician (1/97, p.83) - "...Scofield's brilliant QUIET is his first strictly on acoustic guitar, lined with inventive horn charts....Scofield's ideas about voicing are reminiscent of Bob Moses' Gramavision albums from the '80s. But somehow...translates into a voice all his own..."