Works for Me
During his illustrious career, John Scofield has cleverly kept abreast of trends, lending his serpentine blues-'n'-jazz riffs to volcanic fusion blowouts, grits and gravy funk, even whisper-soft big-band projects. His chameleon approach has shone on such albums asBump, his seminal fusion recordingsStill WarmandBlue Matter, and his bop band workouts withJoe LovanoandBill Stewart.At his core, Sco is a jazz master, and we long to hear him interact with other giants of the genre.Works for Meanswers this expectation generously. What's so compelling about hearing Sco withBilly Higgins,Kenny Garrett,Brad Mehldau, andChristian McBrideis the accumulation of the fiery solos each man plays and the mood of each collective note. Higgins is the balloon the band rides here, and Mehldau has never sounded better. Garrett's dense logic is the perfect foil for Sco's charred leads; the intimately crafted songs find each man going deep with each improv. The band's overall crystalline perfection is so relaxing that it's almost mystical. And for all that, they trade fours and eights, a rarity in the pressured world of studio recording. This is an exceptional album that tells its tales with great depth, detail, color, humor, and passion.--Ken Micallef