The John Scofield Band – “Creeper”
The John Scofield Band – “Thikhathali”
The John Scofield Band – “Freakin’ Disco”
From “Up All Night” : 2003 : Verve Records
This is John Scofield at his funky and adventurous best, playing with some like-minded individuals who present the listener with music that both grooves and shows off the impressive chops of all involved. Creeper starts off with a quiet theme but builds nicely as Scofield’s guitar plays over a nasty rhythm laid down by the band which then develops into a playful set of noise before returning to the original melody of the tune. Thikhathali is a wicked jazzy take on Nigerian funk as only Scofield could put together. Freakin’ Disco is a personal favorite of mine, with the players setting down a groove while the guitars fuzz and jam their way over and all around the place. Any way you slice it, “Up All Night” is a new millennium classic that pushes jazz into new territory while still be mindful of it’s classic past.
Players:
John Scofield – Electric Guitar and Guitar Samples
Avi Bortnick – Rhythm Guitar, Samples, Loops
Andy Hess - Bass
Adam Deitch – Drums
Horn Section on Thikhathali:
Craig Handy – Tenor Sax
Earl Gardner – Trumpet
Gary Smulyan – Baritone Sax
Jim Pugh – Trombone