After spending the last couple months on a large European tour, which also included stops in China, Korea and Japan, in support of his Ray Charles tribute album That’s what I say, John Scofield wasted no time getting back to work upon returning to the United States.
Setting up camp for a five night stand at Yoshi’s, the Bay Area’s premier jazz club, Scofield enlisted the likes of jazz heavyweights Eddie Henderson, Bill Steward and Dennis Irwin for what he pegged “The April Band.”
For the first of two shows on the night, wielding a new black-finished Ibanez guitar, Scofield and his quartet tackled a variety of original songs, spanning part of his large catalog of albums. Packing a great combination of mesmerizing playing, his signature guitar tone, and imaginative songs, Scofield was on fire as usual, ripping through songs such as “Twang,” off of his ’91 album Grace Under Pressure, “Do like Eddie” from Hand Jive and “Hammock Soliloquy,” which was featured on his 2004 live release En Route. Trumpeter extraordinaire Eddie Henderson added inspiring harmonies and solos to the mix, while Stewart and Irwin effectively held down the rhythm end on drums and upright bass, respectively. The interplay between Scofield and the rest of the quartet was great, largely due to Sco’s wonderful comping, leading him to command the crowd’s attention even when the rest of the band was taking solos.
John Scofield’s humble and accessible stage persona, combined with amazing musicianship and the versatility he showcases playing with such a wide variety of bands across various genres, constantly shows why he is one of the world’s most exciting and innovating guitarists and musicians.
