Customer Reviews

Meant to Be

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
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This CD, along with Time on My Hands and What We Do, is an exceptional showcase for Scofield and Lovano. Johnson and Stewart lay down some of the best rhythm section playing--enhanced by Sco's creative comping--recorded in the 90's. The tunes are beautiful and inventive throughout, the solos are out of this world (particularly on Go Blow and Big Fan--I still can't figure out how they come in on the out-head after Lovano's solo), and the ensemble telepathy is undeniable.

BUY IT NOW! Then buy What We Do and Time On My Hands.

`Meant To Be' finds John Scofield in the middle of his early `90's bop phase, coming on the heels of his most excellent `Time On My Hands' record. With a peaking Joe Lovano returning as reedman and Charlie Haden and Jack deJohnette replaced by Marc Johnson and Bill Stewart, Scofield again surrounds himself with top-notch talent.

Sco's own guitar playing, as usual, is flawless, even in hairy spots like `Big Fan'. For those who don't think that Bill Stewart can hang with deJohnette on the skins, go listen to `Go Blow', as an example. For his part, Marc Johnson doesn't stretch out like Haden did in `Time', but the Bill Evans alumnus minds the store just fine, thank you very much.

The only aspect of this record that causes it to fall just short of its predecessor is that the compositions, all originals, are not uniformly great; about 4 or 5 are just merely good. But don't even think to scratch this cd off your shopping list; `Meant To Be' is a solid second helping.

This is one of my favourite staight-ahead jazz albums by Mr. Scofield. This is what modern Jazz guitar should be. The solos are soulful but I think the most impressive is the quality of the compositions. How can this man be so gifted ? The other musicians are also perfect especially Bill Stewart on drums. If you like modern Jazz you have to buy it.

The year was 1990 and the quartet featured Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone & alto clarinet, Marc Johnson on bass, Bill Stewart on drums and of course the great man himself on guitar.

I love anything John Scofield does. His guitar sounds much more muted these days; this album is from back when it still used to wail a little. The uptempo tunes are brilliant enough but it's the ballads on this album that get to me; The beautiful "Keep Me In Mind", "The Guinness Spot", "Meant To Be" and "French Flics" are worth the price of the CD all by themselves. But other favourites are "Chariots", "Mr. Coleman To You" (a tribute to Ornette?) and the weird and wonderful "Lost In Space". Scofield writes all songs, naturally.

With great input from all four members of the quartet, this album has a very similar vibe to the 2002 "scolohofo" project which featured Scofield and Lovano alongside Dave Holland and Al Foster, so if you liked that I think you'll like this. (And if you like this of course I think you'll like THAT!)

Modern jazz at its best for sure.

A heartfelt sort-of homage to Ornette Coleman, this stands as my favorite Scofield album. Don't let the ugly shirt John's wearing on the cover dissuade you; this is indisputably some of his finest stuff. I highly recommend this album to anyone who has never heard Scofield before and is curious to hear what some of his more straight-ahead stuff is like. It's hard to find any ballad that matches the beauty of "the guinness spot" or "keep me in mind".