Customer Reviews

Works for Me

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've got a lot to say about this album (I'm listening to it right now, and this is probably my tenth complete listen this week). "Works For Me" is certainly one of the best things Scofield has ever done. His writing and improvising are at least up to the standards of anything that he's done in his career, and the band here (Brad Mehldau, Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, and Billy Higgins) can hardly be faulted on any count. Higgins and McBride make an absolutely ideal rhythm section.

One notable aspect of the album is the production, which comes off sounding a LOT like a cleaner (no tape hiss) version of a 60's Blue Note session. I've read that this album was recorded with no baffling of any kind, and that it was recorded direct to two track. As a result, there is a different sort of ambience to the recording; instruments are panned left and right, and there is some bleed over between the tracks. All in all, I find the sound of the record to be one of many of its very appealing qualities.

The musical highlights, to my mind, are "Not You Again," a new melody on the changes to "There Will Never Be Another You," especially for Brad Mehldau's constantly just-outside solo over the standard changes (it's incredible the way he walks the line between the changes and playing seemingly out thoughout the entire solo); "Love You Long Time," a gorgeous bossa; and, for Scofield especially, both "Do I Crazy?" and "Heel to Toe," which feature two of the finest examples of his playing on the record. Also, "Hive" starts off quite a lot like one of Ornette Coleman's late fifties tunes, before slipping into a straight swing feel for the improvs.

This is a great record. In some ways, it contains my favorite Garrett I've heard to date, and I especially like the way his tone comes across here. And Higgins! It's amazing that he's having such serious liver problems and is still able to play the way he does here. I've heard a lot of Higgins records from throughout his career, and I've never heard him play any better than on this record.

Finally, I'll say this: I first heard about this session from Scofield himself about a year ago, right after it was recorded, and I've been waiting not-so-patiently for its release since then. It more than lives up to all the expectations I'd built up since then. I very highly recommend it.

One cannot accuse John Scofield of releasing CD's that all sound like each other. Scofield is one of the more adventurous jazz musicians on the scene today. On Hand Jive, he teamed with the late Eddie Harris for a very electric outing and on Bump he was into synth funk. On Works for Me, John releases his most straight ahead jazz CD. John's guitar is joined by Kenny Garrett - alto sax (not KennyG), Brad Meldau - piano, Christian McBride - bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Scofield's guitar playing is very different from other releases, however it is perfect for the group. If you like jazz, you must have this CD. It is fabulous. These guys just meld into one. You will swear that this must be their third release. Although, I am sure Scofield will change style on his next, he could just stay with this group and I would not be disappointed. I would love to see these guys live. Every time, I listen to this CD, I am still amazed at how good it is. The title says it all - Works for Me!

I often feel as if John Scofield hasn't released a proper album since this one in 2000. I'm not suggesting he hasn't been very busy. There have been a couple of albums from The John Scofield Band (2002, 2003) and while these we both very good, they were also very experimental; I've got one by The John Scofield Trio (2003) but that was a live album, and the "Trio Beyond/Saudades" project (recorded in 2004, released in 2006) was again a live album and JS was headlining with Jack DeJohnette and Larry Goldings; there was the fantastic ScoLoHoFo project (2002) with Dave Holland, Joe Lovano and Al Foster and then the "Out Louder" album (2006) was with Medeski, Martin & Wood.

And there's more: There was the BeatleJazz project (2005); and the Ray Charles tribute album, "That's What I Say" (also 2005 and my least favourite of the bunch) and apparently, he's featured on many other artists' albums (like Roy Hanes' 2002 album "Love Letters" for instance, which I do have), some of which I haven't even come across yet.

So while JS has given us a good deal of good music in the last seven years, for me, essentially, this was the last proper John Scofield album. 'Proper' as in with him playing straight-ahead jazz.

And what an album it was too. It was via this album that I learned about Brad Mehldau and I swiftly went out and got every album of his I could find. He is joined on here by the wonderful Kenny Garrett on alto saxophone, the brilliant Christian McBride on bass and the very incredible Billy Higgins on drums. It's a joyride from beginning to end though once again - and I'm beginning to feel like I might possibly be a hopeless romantic trapped in a hardened cynic's body - it's the ballads I really love: "Big J" always makes me smile. I've played "Love You Long Time" so many times I can practically hum along to Garrett's beautiful solo note for note. And as for "Mrs. Scofield's Waltz", well, I'm just lost for words. And of course there's the winding and mysterious "Six And Eight".

In my view this is Scofield's best work in recent years. He gels with his guest artists here like they've been playing together for years. I don't know if he took these guys out on the road or not but if he did, those who saw them play live would've had a great time.

I sincerely hope he'll hurry up and bring out another 'proper' John Scofield album.

John Scofield is a jazz musician, and he's always played jazz. Fortunately for people who love the music, jazz can encompass a broad range of styles. So, Sco never crossed over to anywhere, and therefore has never had to come home. This is his record, his band, his playing, his music. He's never been anyone except himself.

Now, for those who prefer listening to ideology, here's the deal: This is good, solid straight ahead jazz. Not extraordinary or breathtaking, but a nice, tasty listen. Sco's effect-heavy sound does not sit as comfortably in this context as it does on records like "A Go-Go," and Brad Mehldau at times seems to be feeling his way around, and doesn't sound nearly as confident as one is used to, but Kenny Garrett really shines! Nice to hear this guy really playing and expressing himself rather than making his more recent elevator-jazz recordings. And the tunes are typically Sco, lyrical and punchy. For those who enjoy Scofield but don't dig jazz, you'd probably not like this record, but for those who enjoy Scofield *and* dig jazz, it's a nice one.

Scofield has taken a little brake from his groove tunes that has helped him bring in a whole new audience, the "Jamband" audience. The songs on Works for Me are more straight ahead jazz. So...If you are a fan of Bump or A-GO-Go, you might not like this. However Scofield does some of his best guitar playing on the new album. I have seen Sco live a few times in the last year, and I could tell that he was getting tired of playing those basic funk/groove tunes.

I am an avid Jazz listener to the likes of Davis, Coltrane, Horn, Fitzgerald...

I am not a listener of Scofield in particular and came across this album through my searches on ...(the web). Wow, am I happy and I could not agree more with the reviews on this page.

The tracks are just pure...I can understand disgruntled Scofield followers who miss the jamming side of him. However this album clearly puts forth his incredible musical abilities along the likes of his "dream band."

Another bonus for most buyers, and me in particular, is the sound quality of the recording. I usually shun away from CD's if the sound quality is poor. This is excellent, clean, and clear for all you audiophiles like me out there.

Please get yourself a copy and enjoy the wonderful music!

Walked into a record store this Saturday afternoon and this CD was playing through their rather good sound system. The thing was, it was so good I couldn't leave until the whole CD had played through. It really brings me back to the level of excitement I felt about 'jazz' around 1980 in the era when even major record companies were open to all sorts of new musical directions and major label artists could often do much more what they wanted to do compared to the last 20 years. And this group works so excellently well as a unit. Not that it is in any way avant-garde or revolutionary, just that the musical language employed is so wide ranging and sophisticated and everything sounds so right: stimulating and immensely satisfying at the same time. I must admit that after 40 years of interest in music of all kinds I am now highly selective and while not ALL of the album is on a jaw dropping/salivating level, so much of it was for me that I would have to classify this as amongst the most satisfying 'jazz' albums I have ever heard: easily in my top 10. Sco' really expresses himself like I've never heard from him before, and in a number of different ways. At times I was in near ecstacy at the way the tone of his guitar sang so expressively: there is wonderful nuance in the detail of this album, which the superb recording quality conveys to the full. At an architectural level each tune and the album as a whole is beautifully constructed. The sax playing and bass playing is also imaginative and 'right' and the drumming did not call attention to itself butI think must have been perfectly enhancing the dynamics for this particular unit's style. No, you won't find much music here according to 'formula', it's not 'groove' music even though Sco' has expressed himself wonderfully in those more resticted musical styles. Here he, as part of a much freer musical structure and as part of an amazingly cohesive yet spontaneous sounding unit, is at a whole new level of musical expression: for me this CD has put him into top of the major league of jazz artists and so is the group, at least on this album....and may this sort of music continue.

Totally agree with the glowing praise for this album.

It's mainstream contemporary jazz, Scofield has assembled some talented musicians, the guitar playing is superb, and I see from the liner notes that these delightful jazz songs were primarily composed by Scofield.

The songs are mainstream enough that I think a lot of people who don't listen to much jazz could appreciate this album, but also for the ardent jazz fan, there is great music here.

Unfortunately, I am not familiar with more of Sco's music. As an amateur jazz guitarist and enthusiast, I purchased McCoy Tyner's CD/DVD "Guitars", and I was hooked. I wanted the most straight ahead Sco CD. After research, I purchased this one. Works for me! I just wish I had the lead sheets.

Scofield is that artist of rare compositional integrity that, whether indulging his experimental side or paying homage to his classic influences, puts out album after album of general deep-digging quality and the comparatively straight-laced release of WFM should be no exception for jazz guitar enthusiasts.