A Moment

On A Moment’s Peace, his followup to 2009’s gospel-drenched Piety Street, Scofield and his all-star crew of pianist/organist Larry Goldings, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade luxuriate in ballads associated with such legendary interpreters of song as Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone and John Coltrane.

Though there are many beautiful singing voices in jazz today, Viktoria Tolstoy is one of a kind. A great melodramatist of jazz who is also bipolar, she makes happiness sound fragile and threatened, and bitterness sweet and enchanting. She has framed and perfected this art on a conceptual level since becoming an ACT artist in 2003, whether concentrating on material from Esbjörn Svensson – whose e.s.t. began to some extent as her accompanying trio – or, most recently, on Herbie Hancock, classical originals, Swedish standards or repertoire from Russia, the home of her ancestors.

A Moment in Time was all recorded live solo on Bob's 12-string Grand Stick. Like a classical guitarist he creates all his expressive effects, nuances and dynamics from his fingers alone - very instructive and challenging for a Stick player, very inspiring for musicians in general. He subdues himself, serving his music, patiently building to its heights. His broad array of sub-techniques creates a solo orchestra of strings, brimming with sonic textures, flamenco rhythms, simultaneous strumming and counterpoint creeping out of every sector of the fretboard (and out of every finger). His styles range from Celtic to flamenco, baroque and "New Age" with wonderfully fast melodic lines and flourishes.