John Scofield (born December 26, 1951 in Dayton, Ohio)[1], often referred to as "Sco," is an American jazz guitarist and composer, who has played and collaborated with Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey Defrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham, Medeski Martin < Wood, George Duke, Jaco Pastorius, John Mayer [1], and many other important artists. At ease in the bebop idiom, Scofield is also well versed in jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul, and other forms of modern American music.Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Equipment
3 Discography
3.1 As leader < co-leader
3.2 As a sideman
4 References
5 External links

[edit]
Biography

Early in his life, Scofield's family left Ohio and relocated to the small, then mostly rural location of Wilton, Connecticut; it was here that he discovered his interest in music.[2]

Educated at the Berklee College of Music, Scofield eventually left school to record with Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. He joined the Billy Cobham/George Duke Band soon after and spent two years playing, recording and touring with them. Scofield recorded with Charles Mingus in 1976, and replaced Pat Metheny in Gary Burton's quartet[3]. In autumn 1976 he signed a contract with Enja Records, and he released his first album, John Scofield, in 1977. Around this time, he toured and recorded with Pianist Hal Galper, first on his own solo album "Rough House" in 1978, and Galper's album Ivory Forest (1980), where he is heard playing a solo rendition of Thelonious Monk's "Monk's Mood". In 1979 he formed a trio with his mentor Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum which, with drummer Bill Stewart replacing Nussbaum, has become the signature group of Scofield's career. In 1982, he joined Miles Davis, with whom he remained for three and a half years. He contributed tunes and guitar work to three Davis recordings, Star People, You're under Arrest and Decoy.

While still with Davis, he released the first of his Gramavision recordings Electric Outlet (1984). Still Warm (1985) followed after he left Davis's group. At the end of the Davis tenure, he started what is now referred to as his Blue Matter Band - with Dennis Chambers on drums, Gary Grainger on bass and at times either Robert Aries or Jim Beard on keyboards - releasing Blue Matter, Loud Jazz and Pick Hits Live.

At the beginning of the 1990s, he formed his quartet that included Joe Lovano with whom he recorded several important albums for Blue Note Records. Time on My Hands (1990), with Lovano, Charlie Haden and Jack DeJohnette, showcased Scofield's guitar and Mingus-influenced writing. Bill Stewart subsequently became the group's drummer, and played on Meant To Be (1991) and What We Do (1993). In 1992, Scofield released Grace Under Pressure, featuring fellow guitarist Bill Frisell, with Charlie Haden on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Stewart rejoined with Scofield and bassist Steve Swallow for the 1994 collaboration with Pat Metheny, I Can See Your House From Here.

Towards the end of his tenure with Blue Note, Scofield returned to a more funk and soul jazz-oriented sound, a direction which has dominated much of his subsequent output. He recorded the acclaimed 1997 album A Go Go with the avant garde jazz trio Medeski Martin < Wood. Also during this period, his relationship began with British composer Mark-Anthony Turnage. First as a soloist on Turnage's Blood on the Floor: Elegy for Andy, the two paired up to create Scorched, Turnage's orchestrations of Scofield compositions largely form the Blue Matter period. Scorched, a recording available on Deutsche Grammophon, debuted in Frankfurt, Germany.

He released Überjam in 2002 and Up All Night in 2004, two albums on which he experiments with drum n bass and other modern rhythms. John Scofield has also worked and recorded in Europe with nu-fusionist Bugge Wesseltoft New Conception of Jazz in 2001/2 and 2006. Late 2004 saw the release of EnRoute: John Scofield Trio LIVE, which features the jazz trio of John Scofield, Steve Swallow on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. It was recorded live at The Blue Note in NYC in December 2003. The next year, he released That's What I Say - JS plays the music of Ray Charles - Scofield with an all-star guest studded collection of Ray Charles material. This led to a series of performances with Mavis Staples, Gary Versace on organ, John Benitez on bass, and the venerable Steve Hass on drums.

After filling in for guitarist Larry Campbell for two engagements in December (3rd < 4th) of 2005 with Phil Lesh and Friends, Scofield has since played numerous shows with the band. Most recently, on June 3 at Mountain Jam, which took place in Hunter, NY the first weekend of June 2007.

On September 26, 2006 he released Out Louder, his second collaborative effort album with avant garde jazz trio Medeski Martin < Wood. The group, known collectively as MSMW toured extensively worldwide in 2006 and 2007, with sporadic engagements planned through 2008. Scofield also performs as a duo with John Medeski - aptly named The Johns and another groove trio with Scofield, Medeski and drummer Adam Deitch.

September 18, 2007 saw This Meets That released on EmArcy Records - Universal Music's jazz label, a record featuring his trio with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart. This time John added a horn section to expand the sound of his trio. The touring unit for this record features the Sco Horns, a three piece horn section of Phil Grenadier on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tom Olin on tenor saxophone, flute and alto flute and Frank Vacin on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet.

Scofield is currently serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Jazz Department at New York University's Steinhardt School of Education. Married to Susan Scofield in 1978, they are the parents of music producer Jean Scofield b. 1981 and Evan Scofield b. 1987.
[edit]
Equipment

Scofield endorses Ibanez guitars. His signature guitar, the JSM100, is based on his longtime stage and recording guitar, a 1981 Ibanez AS200 which he believes to be one of the best semi-acoustics ever built.[citation needed] He gets his tone by running a Pro Co RAT through either a Vox AC-30 or Mesa Boogie amplifier. Some of his effects include an Ibanez CS9 Analog Chorus, a Line 6 FM4 Filter Modeler, and a Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler. Some of his additional effects include a Digitech XP100 Whammy/Wah, a Boss EQ Pedal, a Boss Loop Station, and a Boomerang phrase sampler pedal. John Scofield uses Dunlop Delrin 2 mm picks.
[edit]
Discography

John Scofield playing at the International Jazz Festival Enschede, 2007.
[edit]
As leader < co-leader
John Scofield (1977) - Trio Records
John Scofield Live (1977) - Enja Records
East Meets West (1977) - Black-Hawk Records, Bellophon Records
Rough House (1978) - Enja Records
Who's Who? (1979) - Arista/Novus
Bar Talk (1980) - Jive/Novus
Out Like a Light (1981) - Enja Records
Shinola (1981) - Enja Records
Electric Outlet (1984) - Gramavision
Still Warm (1985) - Gramavision
Blue Matter (1986) - Gramavision
Loud Jazz (1987) - Gramavision
Pick Hits Live (1987) - Gramavision
Flat Out (1988) - Gramavision
Best of John Scofield (1989) - Blue Note
Time on My Hands (1990) - Blue Note
Slo Sco:The Best of the Ballads (1990) - Gramavision
Meant To Be (1991) - Blue Note
Grace Under Pressure (1992) - Blue Note
What We Do (1993) - Blue Note
I Can See Your House From Here (1994) - w/Pat Metheny - Blue Note
Hand Jive (1994) - Blue Note
Liquid Fire: The Best of John Scofield (1994) - Gramavision
Groove Elation (1995) - Blue Note
Quiet (1996) - Verve
A Go Go with Medeski Martin < Wood(1998) - Verve
Bump (2000) - Verve
Steady Groovin': The Blue Note Groove Sides (2000) - Blue Note
Works For Me (2001) - Verve
Überjam (2002) - Verve
Oh! (2003) - as ScoLoHoFo - Blue Note
Up All Night (2003) - Verve
Scorched (2004) - w/Mark-Anthony Turnage - DG Deutsche Grammophon
EnRoute: John Scofield Trio LIVE (2004) - Verve
That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles (2005) - Verve
Saudades (2006) - as Trio Beyond - ECM
Out Louder (2006) - as Medeski Scofield Martin < Wood - Indirecto
This Meets That (2007) - Emarcy Records
Piety Street (2009) - Emarcy Records
54 (2010) - Emarcy Records
[edit]
As a sideman

Onstage in 2004

With Teodross Avery
My Generation (1996) - Impulse!

With Billy Cobham
A Funky Thide of Sings (1975) - Atlantic
Life < Times (1976) - Wounded Bird Records

With Larry Coryell
Tributaries (1978) - Arista Novus

With Don Pullen
Live At Montmartre (1985)

With Miles Davis
You're Under Arrest (1985) - Columbia
Decoy (1984) - Sony Music
Star People (1983) - Sony Music

With John Ellis:
One Foot In The Swamp (2005) - Hyena

With David Friesen
Two for the Show (1994) - ITM Pacific

With Jon Gordon
Possibilities (2000) - Double-Time

With Herbie Hancock
The New Standard (1995) - Verve

With Jimmy Haslip
A R C (1993) - UMG

With Roy Haynes
Love Letters (2003) - Columbia

With Joe Henderson
So Near, So Far (Musings for Miles) (1993) - Verve
Porgy < Bess (1997) - Verve

With Ron Holloway
Struttin' (1995) - Milestone Records

With Marc Johnson
Shades of Jade (2005) - ECM
Second Sight (1987) - ECM
Bass Desires (1986) - ECM

With Lee Konitz
Rhapsody II (1993) - Evidence

With Manhattan Jazz Quintet
Manhattan Blues (1990) – Sweet Basil

With Gary Marks
Gathering (1974) - Arewea Records

With Charles Mingus
Three of Four Shades of Blue (1977) - Collectables Records

With Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker
Carnegie Hall Concert (1974) - CTI Records

With John Patitucci
Now (1998) - Concord Jazz

With Phil Lesh and Friends
Live at the Warfield (2006) - Image

With Dizzy Gillespie
Rhythmstick (1990)

With Harvie Swartz
In a Different Light (1990) - Blue Moon

With Tommy Smith:
Blue Smith (1999) - Linn Records

With Gary Thomas
By Any Means Necessary (1989) - JMT

With Bugge Wesseltoft
New Conception Of Jazz Live (2003) - Jazzland

With Lenny White
Present Tense (1995) - Hip Bop

With Jack DeJohnette
Music for the Fifth World (1992) - Capitol

With Keller Williams
Dream (2007) - SCI Fidelity Records

Album reviews John Scofield - A Moment’s Peace (2011) review

Most searched John Scofield lyrics 1)  I'll Fly Away