[share_ebook] Correspondence Chess Yearbook 2000 by John Knudsen And Tim Harding (2001)

After making a small buzz with the Inside Wants Out EP, John Mayer hired veteran producer John Alagía (known for his work with the Dave Matthews Band) to beef up his full-length debut with commercial polish. Released in September 2001, Room for Squares proved to be a well-timed album, quietly heralding the end of teen pop's glory days with clever wordplay, savvy chord progressions, and mature songwriting. Songs like "No Such Thing" and "Neon" mixed jazz chords with digestible choruses, fashioning a sort of brainy, college-educated pop hybrid that appealed to discerning listeners and mainstream fans alike.

Guitarist John Scofield takes the traditional jazz route on Works for Me, an excellent collection of 11 compositions that feature the all-star lineup of Christian McBride on acoustic bass, Kenny Garrett on alto saxophone, Brad Mehldau on acoustic piano, and the dynamic Billy Higgins on drums. This CD is unlike the alternative rock and funk jazz fusion on his previous efforts A Go Go and Bump. On this offering, John Scofield gives a great reassessment of straight-ahead post-bop jazz that is distinguished and stimulating. On "Big J," Scofield and saxophonist Kenny Garrett make a great team as they reach out with a call and response improvisation that engrosses the listener throughout its development…

As in his previous solo album, The Thunderthief makes it very clear exactly what John Paul Jones brought to Led Zeppelin: driving bass, epic compositions, and impeccable musicianship. It's also very clear what he wasn't doing for Zeppelin: writing the lyrics. The tracks with words on the album are awkward and occasionally laughable, particularly the title track, which sounds suspiciously like a jab at Robert Plant, and "Angry Angry," a presumably mock punk song. Both detract from what is otherwise a very impressive album. Jones plays nearly every instrument on the record and mixes sounds from seemingly every continent and era he could think of.