Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sco's masterpiece, October 12, 2007
First we had This Is This by Weather Report--generally regarded as their worst effort, although not by me. Then we had This Against That, a band put together by the formidable jazz trumpeter, Ralph Alessi. With two releases under their belt, they've managed to shake things up and establish themselves as Players To Be Reckoned With. Now, if there's even the slightest continuity of thread in the this 'n' that aesthetic, we have the finest representation of such discs.
From the first skronk-ish sounds emanating from the speakers, we're alerted to something special going on here. Sco pretty much brings out the heavy artillery: squawks, blats, wah-wah madness, demon comping, bent strings, Frisell-like heartlandish moves, Leslie effects, chordal leads, fluid Metheny-esque lines, brief flashes of heavy-metal insanity, and some purely righteous shredding. But, amazingly, it's all in context, never just showmanship, never "Look at me, I can do this and you can't," which, although true, is beside the point.
Seldom have I been so immediately and permanently blown away by a disc as I've been by this remarkable music. From a purely sonic standpoint, this has to be one of the most amazing records ever made. Working mainly within a trio context, although subtly and brilliantly augmented by a horn section, Sco manages to produce an astounding variety of sounds, moods, and sensibilities. From that standpoint alone this disc would be a must-have. But the aural adroitness only scratches the surface. There's some kind of deep ur-jazz vibe happening all over this session: infectious, heartland-drenched, Americanesque, primal yet way sophisticated, hortatory, bloozy beyond the call of duty, too cool but absolutely accessible, and just plain swingingly listenable, without the slightest touch of nostalgia.
This is the kind of session that vindicates the cultural essentiality of jazz: no other popular genre could've produced the astonishingly joyous yet entirely unself-consciously glorious music found herein.
Absolutely essential.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More great trio performances from Sco/Swallow/Stewart, plus horns!, September 21, 2007
From the stellar three who brought us the live *En Route*, *This Meets That* burns, burns, burns with the same focused intensity (though this is a studio recording and is augmented by picture perfect horn arrangements, [only where absolutely appropriate]).
There's history here: bassist Steve Swallow produced an earlier Scofield cd called *Grace Under Pressure* and contributed horn arrangements that fit like gloves to several tunes there (Charlie Haden played bass: haven't heard it? Fix That.) Bill Frisell played guitar on every track on *Grace*; here he guests on one ("House of the Rising Sun" at that!).
Anything Scofield, Swallow, and Bill Stewart do is worth your time and attention: but when they are in the same room together, there is a special magic. Buy it.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scofield's back!, September 24, 2007
Sco knocks another one clear out the ballpark with "this meets that", his first 'full-bodied' jazz album in many a year (if you exclude the 'trio' and 'band' albums - all of which were excellent, by the way; and if you also exclude the 'tribute' album, which in my view is best forgotten anyway).
The basic trio is still here though, with Steve Swallow on electric bass and Bill Stewart on drums but also along for the ride are Roger Rosenberg on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Lawrence Feldman on tenor saxophone and flutes, Jim Pugh on trombone, John Swana on trumpet and flugelhorn and last but by no means least, Bill Frisell, who pops up on temolo guitar on the Traditional, "House of the Rising Sun". I couldn't wait to get this one and put it into the CD player, and it doesn't disappoint. Granted, there are no keyboards of any kind anywhere on this album (and I do like my keyboards) but I honestly don't miss them.
Apart from my obvious excitement about the music, there was one other thing that leapt out at me about this album - the fact that Scofield didn't write all the songs. I'm not sure I remember ever seeing that on a John Scofield album (apart from the aforementined 'tribute' one, perhaps). Apart from the Traditional, the album also includes the Rolling Stones tune "I Can't Get No Satisfaction", written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, and "Behind Closed Doors", which was written by Kenneth Gist.
The album is produced by Scofield though and I'm particuarly pleased to hear his guitar's got some of its trademark wail back. A solid and totally satisfying piece of work.
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