John Scofield PIETY STREET

Personnel: John Scofield (guitar); Jon Cleary (vocals, organ); John Boutt? (vocals); George Porter, Jr. (bass guitar); Shannon Powell (drums, percussion); Ricky Fataar (drums).
Audio Mixer: James Farber.
Arranger: John Scofield.
Guitarist John Scofield has excelled in assorted jazz contexts, from straight-ahead jazz (Charles Mingus) to funky fusion (George Duke, Miles Davis). Throughout his career, Scofield has never stood still and his latest venture, PIETY STREET, sees him accenting the bluesy side of his musical personality. The roots of jazz, blues, and much else can be heard and felt in gospel music, and STREET consists mostly of early 20th-century gospel standards lovingly re-invented. Scofield and his compatriots--Jon Cleary on keys, ex-Meters bassist George Porter, and drummer Ricky Fataar--situate these tunes into a cleanly swinging, cooking jazz context, with some occasional New Orleans fire 'n' spunk (such as on "Never Turn Back" and the original "It's A Big Army") in the mix.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Jazz