Mark Anthony, JD Psychic Explorer

Commissioned by the Society of Friends and Patrons of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and recorded at its premiere performance in September of 2002, Scorched is an extended suite of large-scale reconceptions of guitarist John Scofield's jazz compositions, scored for big band, symphony orchestra, and guitar trio. English composer Mark-Anthony Turnage has been working in the borderland between jazz and classical music since his early days at the feet of Gunther Schuller, and his orchestral elaborations on Scofield's original themes are surprisingly insightful and exciting. Scofield himself leads the trio, which also includes the legendary drummer Peter Erskine and electric bassist John Patitucci. Turnage avoids the standard classical-jazz crossover error of trying to make an ensemble this large actually swing…

Two incredibly soulful and passionate quartets by Mark-Anthony Turnage feature in this recording. ‘Shroud’, commissioned by the Emerson Quartet in 2016 and ‘Winter’s Edge’, commissioned by us in 2019, make up his 3rd and 4th quartets and they are powerful and compelling additions to the quartet canon.