John Scofield has played with Miles Davis and Charles Mingus, and has recorded around 100 albums as a sideman and bandleader. He says he found choosing 10 songs from that illustrious catalog “overwhelming.” Jonathan Chimen/Artist Hide Caption
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Jonathan Chimen/Artist provided
Mention the name “John Scofield” and fans of all musical genres, including jazz, blues, rock, and funk, will nod in agreement. Affectionately known as “Sko,” the guitarist is revered for his unique sound and razor-sharp grooves alongside legends like Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Chet Baker and Phil Lesh. .
This November, the legendary guitarist and composer will celebrate 50 years of recording music. To commemorate this milestone, Jazz Night in America gave Scofield a unique challenge. The idea is to select 10 life-defining songs from Scofield’s vast discography and share the stories behind them.
With a career spanning over 100 albums as both a sideman and bandleader, narrowing down his selection was no easy task. As Schofield himself admits, choosing the right track felt “overwhelming”. Ultimately, he chose to focus solely on his own recordings, giving listeners a personal glimpse into his musical journey.
This episode of Jazz Night in America captures the essence of Scofield’s decades-long impact on the music world, his love of collaboration, and his ability to continue to push the boundaries of jazz guitar.
“When I was a teenager, I was going to work in a guitar store, and I wanted to do anything to get around that,” Schofield says. “I never expected it to be this great.”
Setlist:
(All songs composed by John Scofield unless otherwise noted)
“Blue Matter” from the album “Blue Matter” (Gramavision, 1986) “Eiderdown” (Steve Swallow), “Hottentot” from the album Swallow Tales (ECM, 2020) “Hottentot” from the album A Go Go (Verve, 1998) ) “Away with Words” from the album “Quiet” (Verve, 1996) “Since You Asked” from the album Time on My Hands (Blue Note, 1990) “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely” (Vinnie) Barrett, Bobby Ely, John Freeman), from the album “Überjam Deux” (EmArcy, 2013) “I Don’t Need No Doctor” (Joe Armstead, Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson), from the album “That’s” “What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles” (Verve, 2005) “Honest I Do” from the album “Grace Under Pressure” (Blue Note, 1992) “Mrs. Scofield’s” from the album “Works for Me” Waltz” (Verve, 2001) “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” (Hank Williams), from the album “Country for Old Men” (Impulse!, 2016)
Credit: Sarah Geredi, writer and producer. Trevor Smith, consulting producer. Christian McBride, host. Ron Scalzo, Episode Mix. Nikki Birch and Mitra Arthur, video producers. Stephen A. Williams, executive producer. Suraya Mohamed, Executive Producer, NPR Music. “NPR’s VP of visual and music strategy, Keith Jenkins, said:
Special thanks to Susan Scofield and Don Lukoff.
