Search - John Scofield :: Shinola

Swallow nearly steals the show in this forgotten treasure

12/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Shinola' is half of a live club recording John Scofield cut in Munich--the other one titled 'Out Like A Light'--on of the eve of his career-enhancing stint with the Miles Davis Band. Ably backed only by Steve Swallow's electric bass and Adam Nussbaum's drums, Sco had already refined his guitar playing significantly since his first lp's from just a few years earlier. While Scofield's music at this time is still best described as mostly straight-ahead electric jazz with rock overtones, the overall level of musicianship is a notch higher than earlier efforts; not entirely due to a maturing Scofield, but also a product of Swallow's incredible bass. Perhaps jazz's most under-recognized great bassist, he masterfully plays counter to Scofield, seeming to willfully play at a different tempo at times without disrupting the guitarist or the flow of the song. Mr. Swallow, like fellow bass player Dave Holland, is noticeable to even the most casual listener without stepping outside his instrument's traditional role.Scofield's song selection ranges from the mellow ("Yawn") to the all-out rocker ("Shinola"), but save of one tune, a head-spinning rendition of "Dr. Jackle", they are all originals, and good ones at that. It was no doubt that the versatility and confidence displayed by a blossoming young American guitarist touring Europe in late 1981 got the attention of jazz's foremost pioneer looking to restart his career with fresh new John McLaughlin's and Bill Evans'. John Scofield evidently passed the audition.A hard to find record, but a must-have for any Scofield enthusiast."

I would give it ten stars if I could

07/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is great Scofield. Although this may be a relatively early date, I have never heard the guitarist be more musical and captivating than on this record. Scofield's idiosyncratically sparse style lends itself well to power trio. I highly recommend this record to anyone who wants to hear what great Sco sounds like."

Nice and breezy

Olukayode Balogun | Leeds, England | 07/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a nice and breezy set from what is officially the John Scofield Trio, recorded live in Munich, Germany in 1981. The vibe is very similar to that I enjoy on another John Scofield Trio live album, 2004's brilliant EnRoute. If you like that, then you definitely need this (and vice versa), though I should mention that Adam Nussbaum plays the drums on this set (while Bill Stewart is the drummer on the other). Bassist Steve Swallow plays on both.



Personally, I can never get enough of Scofield's guitar and if ever I picture myself chilling with a cold drink on a nice sunny day (or a warm summer night), with a gentle breeze blowing the curtains, this is the kind of music that I'll have playing in the background. It's truly beautiful.



The only slight jolt is the title track, which I found quite bumpy in more ways than one. It's completely out of character with the rest of the album in my opinion, and I will always wonder why the band decided to put it in. Mercifully, it's only 2mins 30secs long."