John Scofield Enroute CD

EN ROUTE captures guitarist John Scofield performing in a trio setting at the Blue Note in New York City. Given the group format and the venue, it's not surprising that EN ROUTE reveals the more jazz-oriented side of Scofield's aesthetic than the punchy funk workouts he turned out in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Scofield's energetic playing has rarely sounded better than in the illustrious company of bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart, however, and the result is a solid, complex, and thoroughly enjoyable study in dynamic group interplay.

The program consists mostly of tunes written by Scofield, with Swallow's frantic, bop-styled "Name That Tune" and a lush cover of Burt Bacharach/Hal David's "Alfie" thrown in for good measure. Stewart's quick-wristed drumming style, which sometimes makes him sound like several percussionists at once, creates a dense, polyrhythmic backdrop to Swallow's furious, agile lines and Scofield's fleet-fingered leads. There are touches of soul-jazz ("Wee"), bluesy swing ("Bag"), and laid-back funk ("Over Big Top"), but the true order of the day is dense, nervous post-bop. The synthesis of modes and the extraordinary chemistry of the trio make this one of Scofield's most satisfying straightforward-jazz efforts.

Live @ The Blue Note,Nyc 12/03 W/Steve Swallow & Bill Stewart

Recorded at The Blue Note, New York, New York in December 2003.

John Scofield Trio: John Scofield (guitar); Steve Swallow (bass); Bill Stewart (drums).JazzTimes (pp.107-8) - "[T]hey're consistently engaging....The album packs a punch that only three well-acquainted players can deliver."