StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Straight ahead with John Scofield

As observed here a few weeks ago, it's been a pretty good fall in St. Louis for fans of jazz guitar, with George Benson, Stanley Jordan and Ralph Towner all playing here during the month of October. Next up, and in our video spotlight today, is guitarist John Scofield, who will return to St. Louis next week with a quartet to play Wednesday, November 2 through Saturday, November 5 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Scofield has played here a number of times in the last 15 years with different configurations of musicians, most often emphasizing the funky, groove-oriented music for which he is best known. This time, however, he's bringing a mostly acoustic quartet that offers a more straight-ahead, swinging approach, playing standards as well as Scofield's original compositions.

For his recent quartet shows, Scofield's frequent collaborator Bill Stewart has been a constant on drums, with either Ben Street or Scott Colley on bass, and Mulgrew Miller or Michael Eckroth, who will be in St. Louis with Scofield next week, playing piano.

The first clip up above was recorded in April 2010 in Paris, and features Scofield, Stewart, Street and Eckroth playing Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase." Down below, it's Scofield, Stewart, Colley and Miller, recorded in July of this year in San Sebastian, Spain, playing Scofield's "Simply Put."

Below that, there are two clips recorded in September 2011 at a show in Buenos Aires with the Scofield/Stewart/Steet/Eckroth lineup, featuring the Scofield original "Still Warm" and "The Night has a Thousand Eyes." The final clip is from this year's Jazz in Marciac festival in France, and features Miller and Colley with Scofield and Stewart on an angular 6/8 blues.

For more about Scofield's recent activities and his new CD release, the ballad-oriented A Moment's Peace, check out this review of the CD by Jazz Times' Philip Booth; this interview the guitarist recently did with Jambands.com's Randy Ray; and this just-published interview conducted by Jason Shadrick for the November issue of Premier Guitar magazine.