Customer Reviews

Shinola

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'Shinola' is half of a live club recording John Scofield cut in Munich--the other one titled 'Out Like A Light'--on of the eve of his career-enhancing stint with the Miles Davis Band. Ably backed only by Steve Swallow's electric bass and Adam Nussbaum's drums, Sco had already refined his guitar playing significantly since his first lp's from just a few years earlier.

While Scofield's music at this time is still best described as mostly straight-ahead electric jazz with rock overtones, the overall level of musicianship is a notch higher than earlier efforts; not entirely due to a maturing Scofield, but also a product of Swallow's incredible bass. Perhaps jazz's most under-recognized great bassist, he masterfully plays counter to Scofield, seeming to willfully play at a different tempo at times without disrupting the guitarist or the flow of the song. Mr. Swallow, like fellow bass player Dave Holland, is noticeable to even the most casual listener without stepping outside his instrument's traditional role.

Scofield's song selection ranges from the mellow ("Yawn") to the all-out rocker ("Shinola"), but save of one tune, a head-spinning rendition of "Dr. Jackle", they are all originals, and good ones at that. It was no doubt that the versatility and confidence displayed by a blossoming young American guitarist touring Europe in late 1981 got the attention of jazz's foremost pioneer looking to restart his career with fresh new John McLaughlin's and Bill Evans'. John Scofield evidently passed the audition.

A hard to find record, but a must-have for any Scofield enthusiast.

I really like this SCO recording from mid December of 1981 . In addition to John Scofield (guitar) and Mr. Nussbaum (drums) , you've got the ALWAYS remarkable Steve Swallow on (electric bass) . I wish it had a couple more songs , but i'll manage . John and friends go blues/rock on the last song . Good for me , as i haven't tried to hear much rock for decades now . Great LIVE session recorded in Munich , Germany , is a MUST for fans of any or all involved . Love cookin' trios . Here's one .

This is great Scofield. Although this may be a relatively early date, I have never heard the guitarist be more musical and captivating than on this record. Scofield's idiosyncratically sparse style lends itself well to power trio. I highly recommend this record to anyone who wants to hear what great Sco sounds like.

I love the early Scofield trio stuff: "Bar Talk", "Shinola" and "Out Like a Light". The SOUND of that unit is wonderful and it's too bad that there are not more available recordings. I often wish for the "Deluxe Re-Mastered Version" of both Shinola and OLAL, with added tunes or maybe even the complete concert that these two came from. Maybe these are the ONLY songs that came from that concert?

Anyway, essential listening for anyone new to Scofield and only thought he played groove/hippie jam music. He is and still is one of the top 3 post-Wes Montgomery/Jim Hall jazz guitarists out there, along with Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny. Unlike a lot of the new, post-Rosenwinkel guitarists you actually feel like he is connecting with and feeling what he is playing. This factor seems just about lost with a lot of the current NYC guitarists, save for a few.

This, along with Sco and Metheny's "I Can See Your House from Here" would definitely be one of my "Desert Island Discs".

This is a nice and breezy set from what is officially the John Scofield Trio, recorded live in Munich, Germany in 1981. The vibe is very similar to that I enjoy on another John Scofield Trio live album, 2004's brilliant EnRoute. If you like that, then you definitely need this (and vice versa), though I should mention that Adam Nussbaum plays the drums on this set (while Bill Stewart is the drummer on the other). Bassist Steve Swallow plays on both.

Personally, I can never get enough of Scofield's guitar and if ever I picture myself chilling with a cold drink on a nice sunny day (or a warm summer night), with a gentle breeze blowing the curtains, this is the kind of music that I'll have playing in the background. It's truly beautiful.

The only slight jolt is the title track, which I found quite bumpy in more ways than one. It's completely out of character with the rest of the album in my opinion, and I will always wonder why the band decided to put it in. Mercifully, it's only 2mins 30secs long.