Customer Reviews

Bump

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

At first listen, this sounded a lot to me like A-Go-Go, and I wondered why Scofield would have repeated himself. But then, on subsequent listens, I realized that the similarities to A-Go-Go are deceiving. This is a much different album.

What's different here is the textures happening underneath Scofield's familiar guitar sound. The mood is much different. Funky, yes, but more soulful, more spacy. Gone are John Medeski's organ riffs and solos. A-Go-Go had a big happy grin on the face of it, as if Scofield had discovered something totally new, and was having a blast with it. It was bright, full of light. Bump has more of a lounge feel. Kick back and relax, it says. This is not to say that some of A-Go-Go's funkiness is not here. It's just not right out front.

I came to John Scofield because he worked with Medeski, Martin, and Wood on A-Go-Go, and MMW are a favorite band of mine (the best jazz band working, if you ask me). I have not had a chance to go back and explore his earlier works. Therefore, I am not qualified to place this in the context of Scofield's extensive pre-A-Go-Go catalog. But I'm already in love with Bump, and I don't think that fans of A-Go-Go will be dissappointed either.

This is one of the most fun albums I've picked up in a long time. The guy is amazing, he literally speaks through his instrument. There's no doubt that Scofield, Frisell, and Metheny are going to be(or already are)the jazz guitar influence of the future. But, this album like Bill's "Nashville" and Pat's "Map of the World" has very little to do with jazz. That is not a bad thing! Jazz snobs should remember, good music is good music, and this is great stuff. If you want to hear soulful grooves and some incredibly funky guitar then pick this up now! If you're after Sco playing jazz then you may want to check out "Time on my Hands" or Joe Henderson's "Musings for Miles" Both albums are Sco at his best in a "jazz" context.

In the video portion of the CD, John Scofield calls 'Bump' an "extension" of 'A Go Go'". Like his 1998 predecessor, he draws heavily on the music of early funksters like James Brown, Sly Stone and the Meters to concoct a brand of music nowadays called acid jazz. But the removal of John Medeski's sometimes-overboard organ and much of the quirkiness that diminished Sco's union with MMW seem to have made all the difference in the world.

With no other soloist with whom to dual, JS treats his fans to some of his most economical playing in years, perhaps ever. His lean, patient solos are testaments to the subtle power of timing and phrasing. The one on "Chicon", for example, is less than one minute long in a seven minute song, yet still plenty sufficient and memorable.

Scofield employs some rarely used tricks like a wah-wah pedal ("Kelpers", "Blackout") a nice Alan Holdsworth imitation ("Fez"), octaves laid over a funk rhythm ("Blackout" again) and significant guitar overdubs throughout. The keyboard sampler is not intrusive as such things can sometimes be, but it's hardly essential to the music, either. Kenny Wolleson's unusual counter-beat on "We Are Not Alone" makes Scofield's best composition on the album even better. A few songs might give you a sense of déjà vu, but at least the mood is pretty consistent throughout.

'Bump' will never go down as one of John Scofield's great artistic statements, but neither was that his intent; he just wanted a good groove album. On that level he succeeds, with the creativity, subtlety and great musicianship that is his stock in trade. Jazz snobs who disagree can take heart, however. Scofield's next release, scheduled for early 2001, has the likes of Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride and Billy Higgins on it. Should be a good one.

Everyone seems to focus on how funky this is, and yes, there is a large helping of deep funk grooves, but with repeated listenings, its more sophisticated than that. The great thing about this cd is how Sco switches up the mood within a song. A mutated funky chorus will give way to a touching, almost sentimental bridge. A feel-good-cheese-jazz segment will open up into a broad, airy, floating space. I'm still caught off guard by these changes. The sampling is unobtrusive and adds to the alternate-universe vibe. Throw in an abstract of perfectly crafted, yet somehow sloppy solos, and this thing is mind-blowing. If you liked A-Go-Go, this takes awhile longer to get into, but the rewards are there.

This is one of Scofield's best albums, pure and simple. The one star reviews here are clearly the product of someone with an axe to grind against Scofield. To say that there are no defined tunes - c'mon; "Chichon" and "We Are Not Alone" are more through-composed than anything he's ever done. And Scofield's tone here is incredible! I honestly cannot get enough of it. Anyone who finds Scofield's playing on this album tentative or mistake ridden is clearly not really listening. The album is getting good critical notices in the press, so please don't ignore this album simply because one person feels the need to trash music that he or she doesn't really seem to understand.

It's a different album from the MMW one and A Go GO, and it's not exactly jazz - but it's cool and it grooves.

Sco has done a lot over the years and why would we want to hear the same stuff anyhow. It's still his signature sound in there though.

"Bump" does not reveal all of its ample charms upon the first spin. It is an album that is at once more sonically varied, yet more compositionally subtle and intricate, than its also excellent predecessor, "A Go Go." For an good example of this, look no further than "Bump"'s second track, the space-y "Chichon." With its slinky rhythms and atmospheric break-downs (courtesy of Mark De Gli Antoni's sampler and Sco's volume knob manipulations), it sounds unlike anything Scofield has recorded before. Perhaps appropriately, then, it also requires a few listens to sink in, to really reveal it's structural logic. The rewards to the listener, though, are ample. And so it is with the album.

Still, if you wanna get the party started quickly, there are a fair share of instantly memorable barn-burners: "Drop and Roll" is as catchy, funky, and smoking as anything Scofield has recorded, and the same is true of both "Kelpers" and "Blackout." If you require a point of entry for the album, these tunes will more than do the trick.

Just a couple of other things should be mentioned. This is the first album since his trio records of the early '80's where Scofield doesn't employ some sort of instrumental soloist to act as a foil(i.e. John Medeski, Joe Lovano, Don Grolnick). This translates to a lot of guitar, but fear not - Scofield's tonal palette has never been so broad, nor his phrasing so economical. He has a knack for keeping you riveted with his lines, always wondering what he'll play next. And his use of effects is tasteful, at times comic, and just plain cool (reference his killer, auto-filter-ized solo on "Beep Beep).

Anything Scofield does is more than worth picking up, but this one is something really different, something exciting - a great guitarist, refining a great template; one created by talents as diverse as James Brown, Professor Longhair, Jeff Beck, and Jimi Hendrix. You dig?

Groovier than Sco's "A Go Go," with more driving rhythms -- lots of conga and bongos. John goes heavier on the guitar licks. More rock-oriented and funky than "A Go Go"; if that was an album to snap your fingers to and bob your head, "Bump" is one to stand up and boogie to.

What I love most about Scofield's recent guitar playing is the subtlety in his style. He is careful not to over do it, while still demonstrating skill and precision. His riffs are practically perfect and are very well placed. The only problem with this is that with no vocals and many similar sounding songs, I rarely make it to the end of this CD. Still for those who enjoyed "A Go-Go", this one is quite similar, so make sure to pick it up. This quality funk CD with jazz undertones may not being groundbraking, but is a great casual listen. (Guitarist can definitely pick up a few ideas here!)

Scofield takes the funk from A-Go-Go and kicks it up a notch...or three. Within each track Sco weaves his guitar through very catchy funk grooves that leave you with nothing to do other than shake it. Bottom line - this CD is FUN. Don't miss out.