John Scofield & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Biography John Scofield & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
John Scofield
John’s guitar work has influenced jazz since the late 70’s and is going strong today. Born in Ohio and raised in suburban Connecticut, Scofield took up the guitar at age 11, inspired by both rock and blues players. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and played with jazz masters like Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Billy Cobam and Miles Davis already early on. Since then he has prominently led his own groups and recorded over 30 albums as a leader.
John Scofield’s ECM appearances to date include two albums with Marc Johnson’s Bass Desires group – Bass Desires (recorded 1985) and Second Sight (1987) – in which the guitarist shared frontline duties with Bill Frisell. On Shades of Jade (2004), a third Marc Johnson album, Scofield is heard alongside frequent colleague Joe Lovano. The live double album Saudades (recorded in 2004), meanwhile, features Scofield as a member of Trio Beyond, alongside Jack DeJohnette and Larry Goldings, reassessing the songbook of Tony Williams’ Lifetime.
On 2020’s Swallow Tales, John Scofield’s first leader-date for ECM, the guitarist celebrated the music of his mentor and friend Steve Swallow in a trio featuring Swallow himself and Bill Stewart on drums. The John Scofield solo-album followed in 2022 and framed him in solo performances on guitar, occasionally accompanied by his own loops. The Wire said “Scofield’s first ever solo recording is as full-hearted, personal and openly expressive as he’s ever sounded. In it, he goes back to his earliest musical loves – not just jazz, but rock, folk and country. No fusions, just fond memories.”
On Uncle John’s Band, John Scofield’s double album in trio with Vicente Archer and Bill Stewart, is released in October 2023 and presents a wide-ranging repertoire, 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.
