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CD Review: Scolohofo-  Oh!

Label:  Bluenote Records
Personnel:  John Scofield-guitar, Joe Lovano-tenor /soprano saxes, Dave Holland-bass, Al Foster-drums

This release by the superstar aggregation listed above is the climax to a 20 city world tour in July 2002 during which the four honed the original compositions presented here. Scolohofo began in 1999 on a Joe Lovano date at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Jazzfest headliner Lovano presented the group as part of the invitation series in which name players bring in their chosen guests to play in various configurations (duo, trio, quartet, big band, etc.) They followed up with a European tour, and although they had intended to get together again soon, it was not meant to be, due to their demanding schedules with bands under their own leadership and other commitments.

In many ways this tour and the subsequent recording have been a dream situation realized. First, this musical meeting of the minds was inspired and conceived by the musicians themselves, and not for fiscal motivation by the label, though the commercial potential is, of course, considerable with players of such stature. Secondly, the level of virtuosity of these four men, coupled with the fact that they are all longtime personal friends, was an unbeatable combination. Finally, they were able to come off an international tour and record after publicly woodshedding the material, rather than go into the studio and create the music from scratch, then tour the album as is commonly done.

The result of all this good fortune is a very hip recording with a high level of telepathy among the four players. With the exception of Lovano, all the band members are Miles Davis alumnae, with Scofield and Foster having served with the Prince of Darkness at the same time. The Lovano/Scofield connection is a strong one as well, harkening back to their early days together as Berklee students. Listening to these virtuosi responding to one another conjures up the kind of intuition that abounded in the second great Miles Davis Quintet.

A word about the packaging. The sepia-tone photography by Jimmy Katz is exquisite, featuring individual portraits of the quartet inside, and a corresponding still life of each player’s instrument at rest on the outside. All this has been done before, but Katz has done it with an artfulness befitting the fine players whose music lies within. Oh! Indeed.

- Richard Mayer

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