John Scofield Trio ft. Vicente Archer & Bill Stewart

What’s most notable about John Scofield is not that he is one of the world’s preeminent guitarists, which he assuredly is; it is that Scofield has been exactly that for nearly half a century while not sitting still with his style or approach to his instrument. Soon after Scofield’s emergence on a series of electrifying records in the late ‘70s, he joined Miles Davis’ band, a fast track to jazz stardom down which Scofield sprinted. Alongside strings of formidable records for the likes of Blue Note, Verve, Impulse!, and ECM with bands that have ranged from Jack DeJohnette and Steve Swallow to Bill Frisell and Medeski Martin & Wood, Scofield has worked with most every major figure in jazz during the last four decades, plus rock bands to boot. His range is peerless.

In his long career, Scofield has been in few settings more lustrous and rewarding than his new Trio, alongside bassist Vicente Archer and longtime drummer Bill Stewart. On their 2023 debut, Uncle John’s Band (yes, named for the Dead cover that closes it), they shift from Dylan and Davis interpretations to jazz standards to Scofield originals, riding a sublime sense of groove between them all. Stewart’s restless cymbal taps and Archer’s lumbering tone frame a perfect window for Scofield’s spaghetti Western variations during “Back in Time.” And their take on “Mr. Tambourine Man” captures the clarity and confusion of the American standard so well, the sense that something is certainly lost but that everything could still be gained. With one of the most sublime jazz trios working, Scofield has found yet another marvelous setting.