John Scofield Piety Street Band CD Reviews
John Scofield’s Piety Street Band
“Without sacrificing the prominence of his electric guitar playing—just utilizing it from a different perspective—this gospel blues album further demonstrates how he has executed similar fusions, in altogether different contexts, throughout his extensive 36-album career.
Just as Scofield doesn’t play in an obvious way, simultaneously staccato and fluid, so, too, does he pursue his renewed interest in blues from an unusual angle… Scofield fans, and those curious about the concept of Piety Street, will find some songs familiar… There’s a tangible sense of joyful release in the musicianship here… which provides continuity from Piety Street to John Scofield’s work under his own name and with others: each and every one is suffused with passion.”
- Doug Collette
allaboutjazz.com
[..read the whole review here..]
Breathless group vocals and handclaps launched into the pot.
“This ain’t the blues as played by blind pan-handlers or railroad hoppers, though: rather, these 13 tracks see a suite of gospel standards, traditionals and Scofield originals played in a clean, full-band jazz style … It’s a tight but tasteful set, one reverential to the religious spirit of the originals … a fun, upbeat cut of jazzed-up 12 bar blues that sees breathless group vocals and handclaps thrown into the pot.”
- Louis Pattison
BBC.com March 2009
“…he understands that this is vocal music, so in addition to recruiting Cleary and Crescent City veteran John Boutté for vox duties, he plays like a singer, his own solos faithful to the vocal-melodic line, even as he spits pearly ornaments and note clusters… He plays with a throaty sound, conjuring syllabic bends and breaks, often with an extra dash of B.B. King bite in his articulation.”
- Jon Garelick
March 2009
[..read the whole review here..]
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