Product Description

It is a rare artist that can explore more than one kind of music with true fluency, virtuosity and sincerity. Guitarist John Scofield can, and he s proven it once again with Piety Street - a powerful collection of Gospel renditions.

Playing with John on this recording: Born in Kent, England in 1964, Jon Cleary is known for his salty-sweet voice, masterful piano/ organ skills. Cleary is best known as a member of Bonnie Raitt's band and his own group Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

Sharing a 26 December birthday with Scofield, Porter, Jr. was born in Louisiana in 1947. Few bass players in the history of modern New Orleans music are as storied as George Porter Jr. During the course of a career spanning four decades, Porter earned recognition as one of America's most iconic and elite bass players as a member of The Meters.

Born in Durban, South Africa in 1952, Ricky Fataar started playing drums at age nine. Fataar appeared in film The Rutles, All You Need is Cash, playing guitarist Stig O'Hara. Stateside by the early 70's, he joined the Beach Boys, touring and recording as their drummer. He has been Bonnie Raitt's drummer since 1979. Multi-instrumentalist, Ricky also writes music for films.

Born into a seventh generation Lousiana, singer John Boutté lives and breathes the heart and soul of New Orleans. Boutte works with a wonderful amalgam of styles -- from torchy jazz to soul and African-American gospel.

Also native to New Orleans, drummer and percussionist Shannon Powell, 43, is both a traditional jazz and modern jazz musician. Powell is widely recognized for his six years in Harry Connick Jr. s band.

Track Listing

1. That's Enough
2. Motherless Child
3. It's a Big Army
4. His Eye is on the Sparrow
5. Something's Got a Hold on Me
6. The Old Ship of Zion
7. Ninety Nine and a Half
8. Just a Little While to Stay Here
9. Never Turn Back
10. Walk With Me
11. But I Like the Message
12. The Angel of Death
13. I'll Fly Away

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8374 in Music
• Released on: 2009-03-31
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

From the Artist
"I'm just shifting the balances for this one," he says. I've always wanted to record and tour a blues project. That's where I started as a guitarist and I'm feeling that music more than ever of late. I launched a personal search for musical inspiration beyond the standard 12 bar blues and found it in "old time gospel" music - the closest relative to and inspiration for the R& B that we all love. I've always treasured Gospel but never really dug deep into it. My search led to countless songs that really move me. It's really powerful stuff. Of course, it will be Gospel done my way - all the arrangements are mine. "

About the Artist
Born in Ohio 26 December 1951 and raised in Connecticut, Scofield took up the guitar at age 11, inspired by both rock and blues players. An early introduction to jazz guitar records sparked a lifelong love of jazz. Scofield attended the Berklee College of Music. In 1973, he moved into public eye with a wide variety of bandleaders and musicians including Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Billy Cobham/George Duke, Gerry Mulligan, McCoy Tyner, Jim Hall, and Gary Burton. His first recording as a leader 1977 established him as an influential and innovative player and composer. In 1982, he began a three-and-a-half-year stint touring with Miles Davis. Scofield's compositions and guitar work appear on three of Davis' albums. Throughout his ecclectic career, Scofield has punctuated his many traditional jazz offerings with funk-oriented electric music. His recordings--several already classics--include collaborations with contemporary favorites like Pat Metheny, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Bill Frisell, Government Mule, and Phil Lesh.

Customer Reviews

Disappointing...but SEE THIS BAND LIVE!
...how could this go wrong? The band is fierce: session ace Ricky Fataar, Meters bassman George Porter, Jr., Brit-turned-Nawlins keyboard ace Jon Cleary (who is also a fine singer), and Scofield doing his trademark twitch and twang on top.

I will say that I saw this band live in Boston, and they were riveting! There was genuine joy in the interplay, the backbeat was firm, the improvisations were loose and quirky, and the singing (by Cleary and Porter) was soulful and invigorating. It was one of the better shows I'd seen in recent memory.

That said, this album is astonishingly lifeless. Like a lot of contemporary soul stuff coming out of New Orleans these days, it feels over-produced and stifled. There is way more digital clarity then analog fun. The interplay and fun from the live show is nowhere to be heard. It just has none of the groove and swing and gritty fun that I heard in person.

I would say by all means check these guys out on the road while you can (Scofield's website has tour dates), and maybe spend your Scofield CD budget on "Quiet" or the live trio album with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart.

Funky treatment for gospel classics !
Unlike his many rivals, who anxiously fuse jazz with folk, classical, world, pop, rock, the guitar maestro John Scofield is stylishly leaning back to gospel/blues.
Gospel fans may be fascinated to see how the music is inventively massaged without being pulled out of shape, but there may be just too many semaphored turns for jazzers.
Some admirers may not approve of his latest gear change -- a downhome, organ-propelled celebration of the New Orleans blues-gospel tradition -- but there's a refreshingly loose and unvarnished ambience here, Scofield swapping uncomplicated licks with a line-up that includes the singer/pianist Jon Cleary.
According to many, John Scofield was easily the best thing about Miles Davis's band. He is a superb electric blues guitarist.
When he decides to party with hard-grooving hot-licks bands, he always sounds as if he's enjoying himself.
Along with the blues, this bittersweet, passionate church music put the heart and soul into American modern jazz.
There are 13 cuts on "Piety Street", ranging from well-known gospel standards with a couple of originals.
Alongside New Orleans vocalist John Boutte, rollicking pianist Jon Cleary and a propulsive rhythm section with Shannon Powell's tambourine on top, Scofield's guitar sings "Motherless Child", "Walk with Me" and eleven gospel classics that all transmit that healing feeling."Occasionally, you're left with the feeling that Scofield and band's instrumental proficiency rather overwhelms the soul-stirring simplicity of the originals".
The album highlights: "That's Enough", "Something's Got A Hold On Me", and "Never Turn Back".
But "it's one of Scofield's own - "It's A Big Army" - that's the album stand-out: a fun, upbeat cut of jazzed-up 12 bar blues that sees breathless group vocals and handclaps thrown into the pot". - BBC
The album debuts at # 3 of the Top Contemporary Jazz chart. Issue date: 2009-04-18

Scofield plays bluesy gospel songs
John Scofield said his initial intent on this CD was to play 12-bar blues. He decided that has been overdone so he recorded gospel songs. The songs are old gospel songs aside from two credited to Scofield. Scofield recruited Jon Cleary on vocals and piano, George Porter on bass, and Rickey Fataar on drums. They are all experienced musicians, but not jazz musicians. The songs and singing are all good. I give the CD only 3 stars because the music, including Scofield's playing, is generic blues. If it weren't for the vocals, the songs would be hard to differentiate.

I recommend this to fans of Scofield's bluesier albums. If you're more of a Scofield jazz fan, you might not like this one as, say, "This Meets That".