54

John Scofield | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Universal Music Group
• ASIN: B003DTPLSG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,646 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Standout work from Scofield, Mendoza and Metropole Orkest, September 30, 2010

By 

Kil Roi (Ashburn, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 54 (Audio CD)

Listening to "54" by John Scofield, Vince Mendoza and his 50-some-piece Metropole Orkest, is like popping gourmet jelly beans into your mouth and savoring them one by one. Well, you know how it goes.

I purchased "54" on a whim, partly because of the colorful marbles on the cover (which remind me of the jelly beans), but mostly because I know John Scofield won't disappoint. What I didn't know was "54", a project album by Scofield and Mendoza, would be such a gorgeous, eclectic and playful treat.

A heady, frolicking experience on the first listen, "54" is difficult to pin down. It truly is a marble bag of contemporary jazz: One minute it's a wall of dynamic big band horns, the next it's a liquid jazz guitar run supported by a silky quartet. The orchestra rises up again and gives way to a sullen sax, a muted trumpet and then back to Scofield's guitar, full of grace and bite. You'll hear some mesmerizing piano work, the obligatory brushes on snare, organ parts that sound like they were pulled off a Medeski, Martin & Wood album and the orchestra curiously cranking out what could be mistaken for obscure film scores.

The Metropole Orkest, a Dutch outfit, really brings out the luster in the nine tracks, all but two written by Scofield. After hearing "Honest I Do" and its stunning violin intro, you'll wonder why the strings weren't used more. The horns far outweigh the strings, and to me that's the album's only weak spot.

But that minor flaw aside, the work does have broad appeal. You don't need to be a Scofield fan to appreciate this project, although it's peppered generously with John's guitar.

Looking for a new CD to impress the guests at your next wine-and-cheese gathering? Need a soundtrack to watch the sun go down from your deck? A companion for a rainy-night drive? You found it here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sco with the Metropole is a score!, March 17, 2011

By 

Brian Whistler (Forestville, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 54 (Audio CD)

Lately I've been finding myself drawn towards recordings that include the exceptional Metropole Orchestra. They usually involve top-notch arrangers/conductors and collaborations with a list jazz players/composers and this album is no exception. John Scofield has penned some very nice tunes which have been arranged by one of the greatest living arranger/composers in jazz, Vince Mendoza. Sco sounds very relaxed and in his element in this lush setting, which also includes several tunes penned by Mendoza himself. These Mendoza originals and were first heard on his classic CD, Instructions Inside. it is only fitting that he should draw from that great second album of his as Scofield was the featured soloist on many of those pieces. It is wonderful to hear how Mendoza has expanded those arrangements for larger ensemble without the least bit of heavy handedness or saccharine sweetness. And because the Metropole Orchestra are so tight and experienced in working with jazz players (in fact many of horn players are also accomplished jazz musicians,) the expanded ensemble still swings or rocks ferociously. One of the tracks on this album won a Grammy this year and deservedly so. I highly recommend this CD in as a lover of third stream music I find that almost anything that involves the Metropole is worth adding to my collection. This one is a particularly worthy addition.