John Scofield

John Scofield has turned the corner from journeyman jazz guitarist to become one of the most inventive and witty players on the contemporary scene. This date, his first for the Blue Note label, builds on a discography following several recordings for the Gramavision label, and also progresses this contemporary jazz music into an individualism that can only bode well for his future efforts. Teamed with the rising-star saxophonist Joe Lovano and the bulletproof rhythm team of bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Jack DeJohnette, Scofield is emerging as a player of distinction on the electric guitar, and a composer whose mirthful ideas add spark and vigor to his newfound musical setting…

In a career spanning six decades and nearly 40 albums as a leader or co-leader, revered Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti has finally realized his dream project. Anchored by a core of world-class musicians (guitarist John Scofield, bassist Scott Colley, pianist Uri Caine, drummer Peter Erskine) and featuring a 22-piece string orchestra conducted by Grammy-winning pianist-arranger Alan Broadbent, Ambrosetti's Nora is his answer to Charlie Parker with Strings and Clifford Brown with Strings, both cherished albums from his youth.

Guitarist John Scofield contributed all nine originals on this album and teams up with up-and-coming tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Bill Stewart for a set of consistently stimulating music. The interesting blend between Scofield and Lovano, the consistently inventive solos, and the unpredictable material - which falls loosely into the post-bop area but is really unclassifiable - make this a CD worth listening to several times.

Meant to Be features guitarist John Scofield's 1990 pianoless quartet on 11 of his compositions. During the best selections (such as "Big Fan" and "Mr. Coleman to You") one can hear the influence of not just the original Ornette Coleman Quartet but the Keith Jarrett/Dewey Redman Quintet. Joe Lovano's increasingly original tenor sound (mixing together John Coltrane, Dewey Redman, and even Eddie Harris on this set) works well with Scofield and the tight but loose rhythm section (bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Bill Stewart). "Eisenhower" (a slightly tongue-in-cheek, boppish romp) and "Some Nerve" (which uses New Orleans parade rhythms) are also memorable performances. The colorful and enjoyable set is modern mainstream music of the 1990s, stretching ahead while holding on to the roots of hard bop, funk, and fusion.

After their previous excursions into the outer cosmos - the highly acclaimed studio albums "Reflections and Odysseys", "Space Sailors" and the powerful live album "RYMDEN+KORK" - RYMDEN have returned to Earth with their new album, “Valleys and Mountains”. However, as one might expect from the trio of Bugge Wesseltoft, Magnus Öström and Dan Berglund, the music is not strictly earthbound - the inner cosmos, dreams and visions offer new spaces to explore, alongside bucolic rambles and treks. The instrumentation and techniques are once again diversified, the styles multiplied; yet all remains indisputably the music of RYMDEN.