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Product Description
Review
John Scofield has now played with every major jazz name under the sun, from Miles to Herbie and has shown himself capable of tackling styles from jazz to funk and even a bit of blues and rock (with the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh). Now he turns his eye to the area that usually gets associated with one of the other guitarists of his level of expertise, Bill Frisell: yes, the meeting of the album's title is Sco meeting country blues. Joining forces with his trio of choice () he also augments the whole with the 'Sco horns' - a brass section which peps up the corners of this lovely little record.
Frisell isn't just a touchstone here. He actually turns up to guest on a version of House Of The Rising Sun. His appearance here is as tasteful as usual, though it's a little unnecessary as Sco himself does that clean, compressed tone just as well as Frisell himself throughout. He even makes a fair fist of the country standard, Charlie Rich's Behind Closed Doors.
But it's the tracks with the horns that really grab here. Opener, The Low Road, is a wonderfully spry funky, swinger that growls and teases in all the right places. Here Sco also recalls a fellow ECM artist, Terje Rypdal. But this album's a mixed bag and the following track, Down D, reminds one of the recent instrumental explorations of Tom Verlaine, or perhaps Jerry Garcia's lonesome twang. There's a simplicity here born of years of experience and only on Strangeness in the Night does the playing seem a little aimless.
At this stage in his career Scofield seems intent on still expanding his horizons. And the forms explored here make perfect sense. --Chris Jones
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Album Description
The album finds Scofield once again in the company of what he calls his "A-Team" - bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart.
The originals on This Meets That are tunes that Scofield and company first performed as a trio, and they retain their loose and jazzy immediacy here. This Meets That is textural and lush, but also has a raw and visceral impact thanks to Scofield's often biting guitar tone and the trio's rhythmic energy. "All these tunes swing," Scofield points out. "One may be funky, another may be country, but the swing element is important to all of them."
With This Meets That and his move to Emarcy, Scofield continues his creative and unpredictable journey as a contemporary jazz master.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Scofield's style and playing is unmistakeable, and his playing on this album is as good as on any other. However, this album is not quite what we've come to expect from Scofield, although to be honest I know better than to try and second guess the man as we have heard just how diverse and unexpected his past albums have been.
So what is this album like? Well, it's easier to say what it's not like. It's not groove orientated as 'A Go Go' and it's not as up-beat and out-there as 'Uberjam' nor is it as jazz as 'Hand Jive'.
Although it's a bit of a mixed bag, with the exception of a handful of tunes this is perhaps the most restrained of all of Scofield's albums. Many of the tunes have an understated, simplistic but atmospheric element to them and personally this is what I really like about 'This Meets That'.
To summarise, very enjoyable.
So what is this album like? Well, it's easier to say what it's not like. It's not groove orientated as 'A Go Go' and it's not as up-beat and out-there as 'Uberjam' nor is it as jazz as 'Hand Jive'.
Although it's a bit of a mixed bag, with the exception of a handful of tunes this is perhaps the most restrained of all of Scofield's albums. Many of the tunes have an understated, simplistic but atmospheric element to them and personally this is what I really like about 'This Meets That'.
To summarise, very enjoyable.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very good album, with the trio augmented by a horn section that gives the music added heft; some of the classic Scofield-isms *including much fine playing) thus get an almost film-music like quality and breadth. The guitarist is on fine form throughout, though we found the last track, a cover of the Rolling Stones' Cant get Satisfaction" a track too far. Best left to Devo!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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21 reviews
49 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Sco's masterpiece
12 Oct 2007
Format:Audio CD
First we had This Is This by Weather Report--generally regarded as their worst effort, although not by me. Then we had This Against That, a band put together by the formidable jazz trumpeter, Ralph Alessi. With two releases under their belt, they've managed to shake things up and establish themselves as Players To Be Reckoned With. Now, if there's even the slightest continuity of thread in the this 'n' that aesthetic, we have the finest representation of such discs.
From the first skronk-ish sounds emanating from the speakers, we're alerted to something special going on here. Sco pretty much brings out the heavy artillery: squawks, blats, wah-wah madness, demon comping, bent strings, Frisell-like heartlandish moves, Leslie effects, chordal leads, fluid Metheny-esque lines, brief flashes of heavy-metal insanity, and some purely righteous shredding. But, amazingly, it's all in context, never just showmanship, never "Look at me, I can do this and you can't," which, although true, is beside the point.
Seldom have I been so immediately and permanently blown away by a disc as I've been by this remarkable music. From a purely sonic standpoint, this has to be one of the most amazing records ever made. Working mainly within a trio context, although subtly and brilliantly augmented by a horn section, Sco manages to produce an astounding variety of sounds, moods, and sensibilities. From that standpoint alone this disc would be a must-have. But the aural adroitness only scratches the surface. There's some kind of deep ur-jazz vibe happening all over this session: infectious, heartland-drenched, Americanesque, primal yet way sophisticated, hortatory, bloozy beyond the call of duty, too cool but absolutely accessible, and just plain swingingly listenable, without the slightest touch of nostalgia.
This is the kind of session that vindicates the cultural essentiality of jazz: no other popular genre could've produced the astonishingly joyous yet entirely unself-consciously glorious music found herein.
Absolutely essential.
From the first skronk-ish sounds emanating from the speakers, we're alerted to something special going on here. Sco pretty much brings out the heavy artillery: squawks, blats, wah-wah madness, demon comping, bent strings, Frisell-like heartlandish moves, Leslie effects, chordal leads, fluid Metheny-esque lines, brief flashes of heavy-metal insanity, and some purely righteous shredding. But, amazingly, it's all in context, never just showmanship, never "Look at me, I can do this and you can't," which, although true, is beside the point.
Seldom have I been so immediately and permanently blown away by a disc as I've been by this remarkable music. From a purely sonic standpoint, this has to be one of the most amazing records ever made. Working mainly within a trio context, although subtly and brilliantly augmented by a horn section, Sco manages to produce an astounding variety of sounds, moods, and sensibilities. From that standpoint alone this disc would be a must-have. But the aural adroitness only scratches the surface. There's some kind of deep ur-jazz vibe happening all over this session: infectious, heartland-drenched, Americanesque, primal yet way sophisticated, hortatory, bloozy beyond the call of duty, too cool but absolutely accessible, and just plain swingingly listenable, without the slightest touch of nostalgia.
This is the kind of session that vindicates the cultural essentiality of jazz: no other popular genre could've produced the astonishingly joyous yet entirely unself-consciously glorious music found herein.
Absolutely essential.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Scofield's back!
24 Sep 2007
Format:Audio CD
Sco knocks another one clear out the ballpark with "this meets that", his first 'full-bodied' jazz album in many a year (if you exclude the 'trio' and 'band' albums - all of which were excellent, by the way; and if you also exclude the 'tribute' album, which in my view is best forgotten anyway).
The basic trio is still here though, with Steve Swallow on electric bass and Bill Stewart on drums but also along for the ride are Roger Rosenberg on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Lawrence Feldman on tenor saxophone and flutes, Jim Pugh on trombone, John Swana on trumpet and flugelhorn and last but by no means least, Bill Frisell, who pops up on temolo guitar on the Traditional, "House of the Rising Sun". I couldn't wait to get this one and put it into the CD player, and it doesn't disappoint. Granted, there are no keyboards of any kind anywhere on this album (and I do like my keyboards) but I honestly don't miss them.
Apart from my obvious excitement about the music, there was one other thing that leapt out at me about this album - the fact that Scofield didn't write all the songs. I'm not sure I remember ever seeing that on a John Scofield album (apart from the aforementined 'tribute' one, perhaps). Apart from the Traditional, the album also includes the Rolling Stones tune "I Can't Get No Satisfaction", written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, and "Behind Closed Doors", which was written by Kenneth Gist.
The album is produced by Scofield though and I'm particuarly pleased to hear his guitar's got some of its trademark wail back. A solid and totally satisfying piece of work.
The basic trio is still here though, with Steve Swallow on electric bass and Bill Stewart on drums but also along for the ride are Roger Rosenberg on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Lawrence Feldman on tenor saxophone and flutes, Jim Pugh on trombone, John Swana on trumpet and flugelhorn and last but by no means least, Bill Frisell, who pops up on temolo guitar on the Traditional, "House of the Rising Sun". I couldn't wait to get this one and put it into the CD player, and it doesn't disappoint. Granted, there are no keyboards of any kind anywhere on this album (and I do like my keyboards) but I honestly don't miss them.
Apart from my obvious excitement about the music, there was one other thing that leapt out at me about this album - the fact that Scofield didn't write all the songs. I'm not sure I remember ever seeing that on a John Scofield album (apart from the aforementined 'tribute' one, perhaps). Apart from the Traditional, the album also includes the Rolling Stones tune "I Can't Get No Satisfaction", written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, and "Behind Closed Doors", which was written by Kenneth Gist.
The album is produced by Scofield though and I'm particuarly pleased to hear his guitar's got some of its trademark wail back. A solid and totally satisfying piece of work.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
More great trio performances from Sco/Swallow/Stewart, plus horns!
21 Sep 2007
Format:Audio CD
From the stellar three who brought us the live *En Route*, *This Meets That* burns, burns, burns with the same focused intensity (though this is a studio recording and is augmented by picture perfect horn arrangements, [only where absolutely appropriate]).
There's history here: bassist Steve Swallow produced an earlier Scofield cd called *Grace Under Pressure* and contributed horn arrangements that fit like gloves to several tunes there (Charlie Haden played bass: haven't heard it? Fix That.) Bill Frisell played guitar on every track on *Grace*; here he guests on one ("House of the Rising Sun" at that!).
Anything Scofield, Swallow, and Bill Stewart do is worth your time and attention: but when they are in the same room together, there is a special magic. Buy it.
There's history here: bassist Steve Swallow produced an earlier Scofield cd called *Grace Under Pressure* and contributed horn arrangements that fit like gloves to several tunes there (Charlie Haden played bass: haven't heard it? Fix That.) Bill Frisell played guitar on every track on *Grace*; here he guests on one ("House of the Rising Sun" at that!).
Anything Scofield, Swallow, and Bill Stewart do is worth your time and attention: but when they are in the same room together, there is a special magic. Buy it.
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