Uncle John's Band

John Scofield

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Named for the Grateful Dead song that concludes this inspired double album, Uncle John’s Band features masterful guitarist John Scofield at his most freewheeling. Wide ranging repertoire finds his trio with Vicente Archer and Bill Stewart tackling material from Dylan’s “Mr Tambourine Man” to Neil Young’s “Old Man”, from Leonard Bernstein’s “Somewhere” to the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool classic “Budo”. And jazz standards including “Stairway to the Stars” and “Ray’s Idea” rub shoulders with seven Scofield originals that are variously swing, funk and folk-inflected. The red thread through the programme is the trio’s tremendous improvisational verve.  “I feel like we can go anywhere,” says John Scofield of the group’s multi-directional versatility. Uncle John’s Band was recorded at Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, New York, in August 2022.
Uncle John's Band ist nach dem Grateful Dead-Song betitelt, der dieses inspirierte Doppelalbum beschließt und präsentiert den meisterhaften Gitarristen John Scofield in abenteuerlustiger, lockerer Verfassung. Sein Trio mit Vicente Archer und Bill Stewart beherrscht ein breit gefächertes Repertoire, das von Dylans "Mr. Tambourine Man" bis zu Neil Youngs "Old Man", von Leonard Bernsteins "Somewhere" bis zu Miles Davis' "Birth of the Cool"-Klassiker "Budo" reicht. Und Jazz-Standards wie "Stairway to the Stars" und "Ray's Idea" stehen neben sieben Scofield-Originalen, die von Swing, Funk und Folk beeinflusst sind. Wie ein roter Faden zieht sich die enorme Improvisationsfreude des Trios durch das Programm. "Ich habe das Gefühl, dass wir überall hingehen können", meint John Scofield über den vielseitigen Genre-Pluralismus der Gruppe. Uncle John's Band wurde im August 2022 im Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, New York, aufgenommen.
Featured Artists Recorded

August 2022, Clubhouse Studios, Rhinebeck

  • CD 1
  • 1Mr. Tambourine Man
    (Bob Dylan)
    09:05
  • 2How Deep
    (John Scofield)
    05:39
  • 3TV Band
    (John Scofield)
    07:22
  • 4Back In Time
    (John Scofield)
    06:49
  • 5Budo
    (Bud Powell, Miles Davis)
    04:12
  • 6Nothing Is Forever
    (John Scofield)
    06:40
  • 7Old Man
    (Neil Young)
    07:02
  • CD 2
  • 1The Girlfriend Cord
    (John Scofield)
    05:22
  • 2Stairway To The Stars
    (Mitchell Parish, Frank Signorelli, Matt Malneck)
    06:42
  • 3Mo Green
    (John Scofield)
    07:19
  • 4Mask
    (John Scofield)
    06:34
  • 5Somewhere
    (Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein)
    06:32
  • 6Ray's Idea
    (Gil Fuller, Raymond Brown)
    03:56
  • 7Uncle John's Band
    (Robert Hunter, Jerome Garcia)
    06:27
Named for the Grateful Dead song that concludes this double album, Uncle John’s Band features masterful guitarist John Scofield at his most freewheeling. Wide ranging repertoire finds his trio with Vicente Archer and Bill Stewart tackling material from Dylan’s “Mr Tambourine Man” to Neil Young’s “Old Man”, from Leonard Bernstein’s “Somewhere” to the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool classic “Budo”. And jazz standards including “Stairway to the Stars” and “Ray’s Idea” rub shoulders with seven far-reaching Scofield originals that are variously swing, funk and folk-inflected. The red thread through the programme is the trio’s improvisational verve. “I feel like we can go anywhere” says John Scofield of the group’s multi-directional versatility, and they do. The opening “Tambourine Man” for instance begins almost in the spirit of raga, before the theme emerges, lilting and country-flavoured, and the improvisation opens up a new space where “we don’t follow a form but play freely,” with Vicente Archer’s heartfelt solo an early highlight. From moment to moment the group embraces the structures of the pieces it plays, then stretches and liberates them. “All the compositions are vehicles for us to improvise on,” Scofield told rock magazine Relix recently. “All are equally important to me.”
 
If Scofield is first and foremost a great jazz guitarist – a status confirmed by a biography that has included celebrated work with masters including Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Gary Burton, Gerry Mulligan, Joe Henderson and more, as well as the many outstanding groups that he has led - he has always been an open-minded player. Rock and blues were his original starting points as a teenaged guitarist, and the quality of direct emotional expression associated with those idioms has remained an unmistakable part of his sound, however sophisticated the harmonic context. In parallel to his jazz activities, he has long been welcomed as a distinguished guest on the rock jam band scene and, as a contributor to Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh’s groups, has played “Uncle John’s Band” live on multiple occasion over the last 20 years.
 
Uncle John’s Band is Scofield’s third album as a leader on ECM: it follows Swallow Tales (recorded 2019), dedicated to the music of frequent partner Steve Swallow, and the solo album John Scofield, recorded in the isolation of lockdown in 2021. Other appearances on ECM include Bass Desires (1985) and Second Sight (1987), with bassist Marc Johnson’s group whose frontline paired Scofield with Bill Frisell. Saudades (2004), a celebration of the music of Tony Williams Lifetime, featured Scofield with Jack DeJohnette and Larry Goldings.
Bassist Vicente Archer is widely considered one of today's profound voices on the bass. He has been playing in a variety of Scofield led bands since 2017 as well as with Kenny Garrett, Terence Blanchard, Tom Harrell, Freddie Hubbard, Louis Hayes, Curtis Fuller, Mark Whitfield, Roy Haynes, Geri Allen, Stanley Jordan, Wycliffe Gordon, Stefon Harris, Janis Siegel, Robert Glasper, Nicholas Payton and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. In 2023, after many years of creative contribution to other musicians’ concepts, Archer released his first album as a leader, Short Stories (Cellar Music) with Bill Stewart and Gerald Clayton in 2023. Uncle John’s Band marks his first appearance on ECM.
Drummer Bill Stewart has performed and recorded with many leading musicians, including Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Maceo Parker, Larry Goldings, Charlie Haden, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, Chris Potter, Lee Konitz, Nicholas Payton and others. He co-leads the popular group Goldings/Stewart/Bernstein, and has been associated with John Scofield for more than 30 years. “What Bill does is more than ‘playing the drums,’” Scofield has said. “He’s a melodic voice in the music, playing counterpoint, and comping, while also swinging really hard.” This is evident throughout the new album, not least on Scofield’s “How Deep”, which lifts the 32 bar jazz form to new heights…
 
The Scofield trio takes the music on the road in the weeks and months ahead. European dates include Slupsk Philharmonic, Slupsk, Poland (October 19), Institut Francais, Berlin, Germany (October 20), Alter Speicher, Ebersberg, Germany (October 21), WLB Württembergische Landesbühne, Esslingen, Germany (October 22), BOZAR Center for Fine Arts Brussels, Brussels, Belgium (October 24), CC Het Spoor, Harelbeke, Belgium (October 25), Hessischer Rundfunk Sendesaal, Frankfurt, Germany (October 26), Klejtrup Musikeferskole, Hobro, Denmark (October 27), Nasjonal Jazzscene, Oslo, Norway (October 28), Belgrade Jazz Festival, Serbia (October 29), Blue Note, Milan, Italy (October 31), Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands (November 1), Auditorium Parco della Musica Sala Petrassi, Rome, Italy (November 2), Auditorium San Giacomo, Forli, Italy (November 3)Teatro Caio Melisso, Spoleto, Italy (November 4), Auditorio, Espinho, Portugal (November 5) The Forge, London, UK (November 7 and 8), Erholungshaus, Leverkusen, Germany, (November 9), and Jazz Dock, Prague, Czech Republic (November 10). In the US, Scofield, Archer and Stewart play a three-night run at Baltimore’s Keystone Korner (November 17-19), followed by four nights at The Blue Note in New York (November 21-25). They then head to Canada to play Toronto’s George Weston Recital Hall (November 30).
 
Uncle John’s Band was recorded at Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, New York, in August 2022. The album includes liner notes, with commentary on each track, by John Scofield.
 
More information: www.johnscofield.com
YEAR DATE VENUE LOCATION
2023 September 24 Monterey Jazz Fest Monterey CA, United States
2023 October 19 Slupsk Philharmonic Slupsk, Poland
2023 October 21 Alter Speicher Ebersberg, Germany
2023 October 22 WLB-Württembergische Landesbühne Esslingen, Germany
2023 October 24 BOZAR - Center for fine Arts Brussels Brussels, Belgium
2023 October 25 CC Het Spoor Harelbeke, Belgium
2023 October 26 Hessischer Rundfunk - Sendesaal Frankfurt, Germany
2023 October 27 Klejtrup Musikefterskole Hobro, Denmark
2023 October 28 Nasjonal Jazzscene Oslo, Norway
2023 October 29 tba Belgrade, Serbia
2023 October 31 The Blue Note Milano, Italy
2023 November 01 Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, Netherlands
2023 November 02 Auditorium Parco della Musica Sala - Petrassi Rome, Italy
2023 November 03 Auditorium San Giacomo Forli, Italy
2023 November 04 Teatro Caio Melisso Spoleto, Italy
2023 November 05 Auditório de Espinho Espinho, Portugal
2023 November 07 The Forge London, United Kingdom
2023 November 08 The Forge London, United Kingdom
2023 November 09 Bayer Erholungshaus Leverkusen, Germany
2023 November 10 Jazz Dock Prague, Czechia
2023 November 16 The Barns at Wolftrap Vienna VA, United States
2023 November 17 Keystone Korner Baltimore MD, United States
2023 November 18 Keystone Korner Baltimore MD, United States
2023 November 19 Keystone Korner Baltimore MD, United States
2023 November 21 The Blue Note New York NY, United States
2023 November 22 The Blue Note New York NY, United States
2023 November 23 The Blue Note New York NY, United States
2023 November 24 The Blue Note New York NY, United States
2023 November 25 The Blue Note New York NY, United States
2023 November 30 George Weston Recital Hall Toronto ON, Canada
2023 December 02 BOMBYX Center for the Arts and Equity Northampton MA, United States
2023 December 03 Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club Portsmouth NH, United States