Scofield to bring mixed bag to Ark

Tomorrow evening, the John Scofield Quartet will be playing at The Ark. Scofield, a perennial poll-winning jazz guitarist, released his most recent album, "A Go Go," this past spring. His current band is the second group of musicians he has toured with since the release, promising a new, perhaps unexpected, outlook on that material. There are many sound possibilities that a guitar, keyboard, bass and drum quartet are capable of generating, so a problem arises when trying to classify the music. Scofield himself is unsure what to name it. In a recent interview, he struggled to call "A Go Go," jazz-rock, and was immediately unsatisfied with the label. Critical interpretations of the album, for which Scofield teamed up with the trio Medeski, Martin and Wood, have called it New Orleans-inspired, groovy, soulful, neo-funk jazz. While these are suitable descriptions, one is as reluctant as Scofield to find a category for this music.

Courtesy of Verve John Scofield will appear tomorrow night at the Ark with three friends.

Scofield's task has been far more daunting, and spoke of creating the fresh style.

"If you're trying to sound completely different, then you just rule out too many options," Scofield said.

Yet maintaining some sense of familiarity without stepping too frequently upon trodden paths is a challenging balance to achieve. Scofield justifies his current tendency to avoid more traditional jazz styles by explaining that the music has already, "been played so well."

Consider the funky guitar-organ-bass-drums tradition, Jimmy Smith and Larry Young have covered the world of jazz organ, from down-home grooves through free jazz, and funk has made a successful development from Bobby Timmons and James Brown through Parliament-Funkadelic. Even today, the heritage is present in the very different approaches of Wayne Horvitz, James Carter and Bela Fleck. With such a rich history, it doesn't seem unfair to ask if there is room for Scofield's work to contribute anything new to the field.

One has only to listen to "A Go Go" to realize that Scofield has created a sound that is unique, yet also very relatable. The influence of the pioneers is obvious. James Brown kicks juxtaposed over Booker T & the MGs-like grooves are bound to get feet tapping. And these guys are not interested in just setting a mood. The record romps through intense improvisations, pauses for some unexpected funk harmonies, and even cools for some attractive melodies. Scofield never becomes overly virtuosic. Rather, he builds his solos with intelligent riffs, quips and phrases that dazzle with the sheer multitude of sounds his guitar sings. Medeski, Martin and Wood forge seamlessly in and out of Scofield's lines, both as a unit and when soloing.

Although one is tempted to be disappointed that the "A Go Go" accompanying trio will not be making the trip to Ann Arbor, the current group of Will Bolware (keyboards), Matthew Garrison (bass) and Marlon Browden (drums) promises to be just as exciting. Between the three musicians, recent credits include Maceo Parker, John McLaughlin and Joe Zawinul. This group has the benefit of working together as a unit for longer than the amount of time that is required to make a recording.

In his attempt to find a classification for his current sound, Scofield found himself describing the sort of musical pitfalls that he has tried to avoid in its creation, instead of a definite goal. "I sort of know what I don't want to do, more than what I want to do."

Tickets for the John Scofield Quartet are $20 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster or SKR Blues and Jazz.

02-17-99