Nice career overview of jazz guitarist John Scofield ★★★★☆

Guitarist John Scofield (70) has played in just about all possible band formations for the past 45 years and has recorded records with greats from Miles Davis to Pat Metheny. But there was no mention of a solo album, the litmus test for all great guitarists, in his discography.

Last August he finally went into the studio in New York to work with electric guitar and looper (a device that doubles his own parts live) without accompaniment. The result is collected on the simple John Scofield titled album† A few songs of his own that he previously recorded with others, a few standards supplemented with unreleased compositions, make the album a sort of career overview. Scofield is a plucker. His playing is instantly recognisable, whether he goes wild (rare) in a rock and roll classic like Not Fade Away or a serene ballad like My Old Flame. The highlight on this beautiful album is the standard It Could Happen to You† Nice moment when Scofield turns off his looper towards the end, you bounce up a bit and he continues playing in a lower key.