John Scofield Plays Country Music? Yes, He Does!
I know John Scofield‘s jazz as well as his work with Medeski Martin and Wood, and was intrigued enough when I read the description of this project to attend a show at Regattabar (one of four that weekend). I am so glad I did!
John Scofield
Last year, Scofield released an album, Country for Old Men, of classic country songs reimagined as jazz songs. It may sound odd, but in the hands of a master like Scofield it works extremely well. The Grammy awards people agreed because the album won a Grammy two days later!
Scofield performed songs ranged from Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” to James Taylor’s “Bartender’s Blues” to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”. Some were easy to discern from the first few notes while others took slightly longer.
The fantastic band members were Scofield on guitar, Sullivan Fortner on Hammond B3 organ and piano, Vicente Archer on bass, and Bill Stewart on drums. While only Stewart appears on the album (at least based on my research), they sounded as if they have been playing together for many years.
Sullivan Fortner, Vicente Archer, Bill Stewart, John Scofield (l to r)
Each member of the band gave us numerous solos that were much appreciated by the sold-out crowd. The sound seemed especially good for this show as was the lighting.
My only complaint is that the show wasn’t longer!
I apologize for not having any photos (other than a couple taken with my phone) from this show; I am recovering from hand surgery and was unsure if I would be able to set up a tripod.
Ticket courtesy of Regattabar; all opinions are my own.
Posted on February 21, 2017, in concert photos, concert reviews, music, Uncategorized and tagged Bill Stewart, boston, concert photos, concert review, Country music, jazz, John Scofield, music, Regattabar, Sullivan Fortner, Vicente Archer. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
Nice to see someone covering the Boston music scene. I see in some of your posts you mentioned the Bull Run. Great club. I had forgotten about it for years but have now been out there about a half-dozen times in the past year. Why is there no longer a club like this in Boston or Cambridge one wonders.
Thanks. Maybe there isn’t a club exactly like Bull Run but three are places like The Burren Backroom which has, in my opinion, a better vibe. There are smaller places such as Lizard Lounge and Atwood’s Tavern that have great vibes with excellent music.
Good to know. Yeah, the vibe is ok at Bull Run but I always wind up sitting next to the guy who wants to tell me how many times he saw Hendrix or something. Older crowd for sure (as am I).
The audience isn’t always respectful at Bull Run. If you’re sitting front and center it’s usually fine. And sometimes I do appreciate an older crowd.