It was something that he worked on, especially in that era of songs he wrote in the ’60s through to the ’80s. Lee Mergner is JazzTimes‘ Contributing Editor. John Scofield’s latest album Swallow Tales, his first as a sole leader for ECM, features nine compositions by his longtime mentor and friend Steve Swallow—who also plays bass on the album. “They understand each other,” Scofield says. "[11], "John Scofield: Swallow Tales album review @ All About Jazz", "Swallow Tales - John Scofield | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic", "Album: John Scofield, Steve Swallow, Bill Stewart - Swallow Tales", "Album review: John Scofield Swallow Tales", "John Scofield: Swallow Tales — mercurial pieces don't soften the great jazz-rocker", "John Scofield: Swallow Tales — an irresistible polyrhythmic pulse", "John Scofield Renews the Jazz Guitar Trio on 'Swallow Tales, "Jazz CD Review: John Scofield's "Swallow Tales" — Steve Swallow's Quirky Romanticism", "Offiziellecharts.de – John Scofield / Bill Stewart / Steve Swallow – Swallow Tales", "Swisscharts.com – John Scofield / Bill Stewart / Steve Swallow – Swallow Tales", That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swallow_Tales_(John_Scofield_album)&oldid=965619612, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 July 2020, at 11:52. The easeful and complementary way in which they work together has a particular appeal: as he says of their collaboration, “Sometimes when we play it’s like one big guitar, the bass part and my part together.”. “Manfred was the best producer I’d ever worked with for jazz and the most understanding of improvisation and creativity,” he says. He was interested in guitar and we bonded about that. That is the accomplishment of Swallow Tales. Swallow was on some of the first albums that the young guitarist owned. It’s a subtle thing, but I call it ‘Swallow bass playing.’ To tell you the truth, I haven’t found any other electric bass players, at least in jazz, that work so well with this music. John Scofield’s latest album Swallow Tales, his first as a sole leader for ECM, features nine compositions by his longtime mentor and friend Steve Swallow—who also plays bass on the album. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. John Scofield’s latest album, Swallow Tales, was released on June 12, 2020. It took three musicians fewer than five hours on one afternoon in New York studio in March 2019 to make. I was even going to ditch one of the tunes, because I wasn’t sure it was good enough, but he said, ‘No, you should keep it.’ He really did help me that way.”, A good part of Swallow Tales’ magic stems from the almost telepathic relationship of the three musicians, whose past recordings together include I Can See Your House from Here (1994) with Metheny, Quiet (1996), EnRoute (2004), This Meets That (2007), and Country for Old Men (2016). It was an incredible experience to play with him and hang.”, Scofield says that Burton got his bandmate Swallow a teaching gig at Berklee the next year, and the bassist was soon a part of the playing and hanging. It is when Scofield metaphorically steps back from his soloing, and respectfully hands over the limelight to the deeper sonorities and the wonderfully persuasive and balanced melodic voice of Swallow’s electric bass. "We played them cold," Scofield says. It took three musicians fewer than five hours on one afternoon in New York studio in March 2019 to make. He played completely differently, because he played the same stuff he was playing on upright but on the electric bass guitar, with a pick.”, Swallow eventually became a part of Scofield’s trio with Adam Nussbaum, with whom he recorded Bar Talk, Shinola, and Out Like a Light in the early ’80s. Almost every one has some three- or five-bar phrases in it. Scofield’s playing holds attention throughout with its inventiveness and infinite variety. Dr. John & Warren Haynes & John Mayer & Aaron Neville & Mavis Staples] 6:18 But there again, it also took them more than 40 years. New Strings Attached 6:08 6 Tulle 5:01 7 Peace in the Valley 4:49 8 Groove Elation 6:51 9 I Don't Need No Doctor [feat. Your Amazon Music account is currently associated with a different marketplace. John Mayer] 4:28 10 What'd I Say [feat. With the quarantine and shuttering of venues, … Read More “Marshall Gilkes’ New Trio Album is Worth the Wait”, If a biopic or TV series of Randy Brecker’s life was produced in Hollywood, it would likely require multiple actors to successfully capture his varied … Read More “Randy Brecker: Overdue Ovation”, Having moved back to his native Oakland in 2016, Ambrose Akinmusire found himself in a relatively ideal position to weather a quarantine. There is harmonic adventure aplenty in “Radio” and all the serenity and elegance one could ever want in “Far Away”. He brings a jaunty asymmetry to every phrase, that ability to create both flow and disruptiveness: the ways he shapes, bends and distorts the sound are a masterclass. Nach dem 68-jährigen, irdischen Dasein und mit mehr als 40 als Leader eingespielten Alben auf dem Konto bringt John Scofield nun bei ECM seine erste Platte als Frontmann heraus. Chris Pearson in his review for The Times wrote, "This set, taped in half a day by a trio led by the American guitarist John Scofield, centres on that legacy to set the record straight. Preview, buy or download Swallow Tales on Amazon! See tour page for more dates and band + venue info. But there again, it also took them more than 40 years. Albums Tour Dates. But he was this old, experienced jazz guy who said, ‘Oh, I’ll do a neck adjustment on your guitar. Most of the songs that Scofield learned—and, many years later, chose for Swallow Tales—predate the precocious Pat Metheny’s arrival at Berklee and his tenure with Burton’s band. He wasn’t my teacher, but he liked the way I played enough that we got to play a lot together.”, As an acoustic bassist who turned to the electric bass guitar, Swallow brought a different approach to this relatively new jazz instrument. Those who appreciate Scofield’s rockier excursions, such as the early 80s albums he made with Miles Davis, from Star People to You’re Under Arrest, will appreciate the angularity and hip anger he brings to “Portsmouth Configurations”. “He told me that he got it from listening to Latin music and also Wilbur Ware and Jimmy Garrison, as two guys who ‘broke it up’ at a time when the Paul Chambers 4/4 way was the normal way. John Scofield became aware of bassist Steve Swallow in the 1960s when he was a teenager. “He had only been playing electric bass for a couple years. In a world where confrontation, stridency and disdain become normalised, it is simply good to be reminded what trust and mutual admiration and inspiration between top-flight musicians built up over decades of friendship can achieve. “Bill has an incredible sense of making his music fit with whatever is going on.”, After nearly 50 years of playing with Swallow, Scofield considers what he’s learned from his friend beyond the music they’ve shared. Between 1990 and 2018, he served the magazine in a multitude of roles, including Editor and Publisher. The trio plays nine compositions previously written by Steve Swallow. Without fail. Published since 1970, JazzTimes—“America’s Jazz Magazine”—provides comprehensive and in-depth coverage of the jazz scene. To enjoy Prime Music, go to Your Music Library and transfer your account to Amazon.com (US). After Burton and Swallow arrived at Berklee, their compositions soon began making the rounds. John Scofield Honors Steve Swallow on New Album, Swallow eventually became a part of Scofield’s trio with Adam Nussbaum, with whom he recorded, After Burton and Swallow arrived at Berklee, their compositions soon began making the rounds. “That’s why I thought maybe he’d want to put this record out.”, Indeed he did. “All those Swallow songs are songs that I learned then.” Among them is “Eiderdown,” the first song Swallow wrote (remarkably), and a highlight of Pete La Roca’s 1965 album, Scofield recorded the album himself in five hours at NYU’s studios and decided to bring it to Manfred Eicher at ECM. Speaking over the … Read More “Ambrose Akinmusire: Blues for 2020”, Though 18 Monologues Élastiques is, technically speaking, a solo album, it’s evident from the outset that Samuel Blaser was not alone during its recording. “It was during the time that he decided to just play electric bass. John Mayer], © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. John celebrates the music of his friend and mentor Steve Swallow in an outgoing and spirited recording, made in a day in New York in March 2019 — “old school” style as Scofield says, while acknowledging that more than forty years of preparation led up to it. The nine-track album features Scofield playing with longtime friends and decorated jazz musicians Steve Swallow (bass) and Bill Stewart (drums). Swallow Tales is a great album. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. It's a sound whose earthy lilt sometimes has the feel of a three-member vocal group, rather than an instrumental trio. Jim Hall Featuring John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Mick Goodrick, Gary Burton: Jim Hall Featuring John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Mick Goodrick, Gary Burton - Jim Hall And Friends Live At Town Hall Vol.2 (Album) 2 versions : Limelight: 820 843-2: UK: 1991: Sell This Version When Bill Frisell answers my FaceTime beep, the... Louis Armstrong awoke one morning wanting to make... JazzTimes, in association with Ropeadope Records,... What we went to offer is a positive notion, a... To say that this past spring didn’t exactly flower for the jazz community would be a gross understatement. The live double album Saudades (recorded in 2004), meanwhile, features Scofield as a member of Trio Beyond, alongside Jack DeJohnette and Larry Goldings, reassessing the songbook of Tony Williams’ Lifetime. “I’d been a big Swallow fan from hearing him on records and hearing him live,” Scofield says. Broke it. When asked to describe what’s unique about Swallow’s compositions, Scofield points first to his melodies and harmonic motion. “It was a time before Jaco Pastorius, before Stanley Clarke. The more you listen, the more you appreciate both his subtlety and his unpredictability. [9] The trio plays nine compositions previously written by Steve Swallow. What did he know about guitar? “They’re made for people to improvise on,” he says. And since then “we’ve played a zillion gigs and made a bunch of records over the years... I’ve learned so much from him.” Scofield talks of Swallow not just as a friend but as a mentor. Alongside the release of Swallow Tales, ECM shared an amusing video of Scofield and Swallow recounting a real-life (Steve) Swallow tale about how the over-confident bassist once ruined one of Scofield’s favorite guitars. He thinks of them that way, so they’re great jazz vehicles.”, Scofield also notes that Swallow’s tendency to mix things up beyond the four-bar phrase gives his tunes a singular quality: “It’s really a hallmark of his songs. … It destroyed my nice old Gibson guitar. John Scofield became aware of bassist Steve Swallow in the 1960s when he was a teenager. He had met Eicher back at Berklee in the early ’70s—thanks once again to Burton, who had just started recording for the label. Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details. His phrasing and time made him unique then and now. Simply enter your email address in the box below, 'Scofield’s playing holds attention throughout with its inventiveness and infinite variety', There is a particular moment in each track moments when the goosebumps come.

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