Say the name 'John Scofield,' and fans from across the musical spectrum 鈥� whether jazz, blues, rock or funk 鈥� will nod in approval. Affectionately known as "Sco," the guitarist is revered for his distinctive sound and lying down razor-sharp grooves alongside legends like Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Chet Baker and Phil Lesh, to name a few.
This November, the legendary guitarist and composer celebrates 50 years of recorded music. To mark this milestone, Jazz Night in America gave Scofield a unique challenge: select 10 life-defining tracks from his extensive discography and share the stories behind them.
With a career spanning over 100 albums as both a sideman and bandleader, narrowing down his selections was no easy task. As Scofield himself admits, choosing the right tracks felt "overwhelming." Ultimately, he chose to focus solely on his own recordings, offering listeners a personal glimpse into his musical journey.
This episode of Jazz Night in America captures the essence of Scofield鈥檚 multi-decade influence on the music world, his love of collaboration and his ability to continually push the boundaries of what jazz guitar can be.
鈥淲hen I was a teenager, I was ready to just work in a guitar store. I just wanted to do anything to be around it,鈥� Scofield says. 鈥淚 had no idea that it would be as wonderful as it has been.鈥�
Set List:
(All songs composed by John Scofield unless otherwise noted)
- 鈥淏lue Matter鈥� from the album Blue Matter (Gramavision, 1986)
- 鈥淓iderdown鈥� (Steve Swallow), from the album Swallow Tales (ECM, 2020)
- 鈥淗ottentot" from the album A Go Go (Verve, 1998)
- 鈥淎way with Words鈥�, from the album Quiet (Verve, 1996)
- 鈥淪ince You Asked鈥�, from the album Time on My Hands (Blue Note, 1990)
- 鈥淛ust Don't Want to Be Lonely鈥� (Vinnie Barrett, Bobby Eli, John Freeman), from the album 脺berjam Deux (EmArcy, 2013)
- 鈥淚 Don't Need No Doctor鈥� (Jo Armstead, Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson), from the album That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the 老夫子传媒 of Ray Charles (Verve, 2005)
- 鈥淗onest I Do鈥� from the album Grace Under Pressure (Blue Note, 1992)
- 鈥淢rs. Scofield鈥檚 Waltz鈥� from the album Works for Me (Verve, 2001)
- 鈥淚鈥檓 So Lonesome I Could Cry鈥� (Hank Williams), from the album Country For Old Men (Impulse!, 2016)
Credits: Sarah Geledi, writer and producer; Trevor Smith, consulting producer; Christian McBride, host; Ron Scalzo, episode mix; Nikki Birch and Mitra Arthur, video producers; Steven A. Williams, executive producer; Suraya Mohamed, executive producer of NPR 老夫子传媒; Keith Jenkins, vice president of visuals and music strategy at NPR.
Special thanks to Susan Scofield and Don Lucoff.
Copyright 2024 WBGO
