John Scofield's funk: "Chank"
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On a track from his 1998 CD A Go Go and in a video from the 1997 North Sea Jazz Festival, leading jazz guitarist John Scofield plays his tune "Chank" with Billy Martin on percussion, John Medesky on organ and Chris Wood on electric bass. This is my idea of the perfect combination of funk and jazz: keeping the beat and accompanying chords funk-simple, and his guitar solos with just the right amount of dissonance. The two performances are not so different. I'd go with the video if two is too many. Both have, near the end, his descending double-note melodic stairway. You might enjoy "my earlier Scofield-funk post from 5/18/07":http://mog.com/Spike/blog/75601.
Comments (14)
I believe I've told this story before, but here goes...When I was last at Jazzfest I saw Blue Note hip jazzers of the moment Soulive. They were good, but not great. Then Fred Wesley came up on the stage and they got better, and then Scofield got up with them and we had a full blown show. I haven't often grasped him in a funk bag..but in a jazz bag, he's real good. I've always liked this record, but I think I need to go back and recheck it. Thanks Spike.
You're welcome, Cody. I agree; Scofield's straight jazz CDs are great, especially in the 90's.
Very Nice! Yeah!
Yes.
Scofield is tangy. That's the best word I can use to describe his sound.
Tangy, that's a good word for him. I'm going to have to start using that word more.
Have not heard this in a long time, thanks.
Oatmeal, thanks. Going to Youtube and seeing that there are a bunch of cover versions of this tune by other acts, and the fact that other Moggers have heard it before, revealed to me that this is a well-known number.
Just as funky on Saturday. I love the way this is recorded - all the instruments are clearly separated, yet work together. And the drums have such a lovely, open sound.....
ivylander, how right you are. I didn't realize until yesterday that this CD which I've had for ten years features as his accompanists the well-known group Medesky, Martin & Wood, whom I hadn't heard of until they were featured on some MOG post a while back. Perhaps that's a big reason why they work together so well here.
this was JC's 1st recorded move into jam and really helped him on the touring front - since he's pretty much been able to record both jazz and jammy records to satisfy the urges and keep the touring up . . . jazz alone ain't a living for many - even sco
MilesTrane, what you say makes sense about straight jazz not paying off. I'm not hip to the exact meaning of "jam"; I thought it meant long instrumental solos, but maybe you're referring instead to an r&b beat, which Scofield had actually employed on occasion on his "93 CD Hand Jive and earlier on Flat Out (see the link at the end of my post above). If I were a jazz soloist, I would definitely adopt a current style of hip-hop back-up, which has been going through an amazingly creative period recently.
both are wonderful but i go with Chank if it came down to a choice. i am with you on liking guitar solos with just the right amount of dissonance, and that are not self-indulgent to the point of exhausting listeners.
poebegone, yeah, being the one playing a long improvisation is usually more fun than being the one who has to listen to it. Often when I listen to some piece of music that make me feel like I'm sticking my finger in a light socket, I start giving a wide berth to those ascetic masochists whose feelings about music seem to be confined to: "If it grates, it's great."