Grooving right along, it's our penultimate week of the jazzy January experience and we're going with guitar, not an instrument at the top of my list for leading excursions through the genre. But John Scofield isn't your average jazz guitarist and the trio backing him isn't your grandfather's ensemble. 

Today:

The artist: John Scofield
Weapon of choice: Guitar
Recorded: 1997
Released: April 7, 1998
Album: A Go Go

By the time 1997 rolled around, John Scofield had already released or appeared on dozens of albums and was well-established in the scene as an esteemed guitarist. He'd backed Billy Cobham, Charles Mingus, and, of course, the Prince of Darkness, not to mention the numerous efforts under his own name. For A Go Go, Scofield teamed up with a trio about to enter their heyday in both the jazz and jam worlds. 

Medeski, Martin, and Wood, more than deserving of their own feature here, had garnered a following in New York City in the early-mid 90s before wider exposure, for better or worse, in jamblandia. Their first (of three) record with Scofield didn't hurt in gaining prominence. A Go Go is a glorious, grooving weave of all four musicians' subtlety, patience, and supreme abilities to listen and respond to the slightest of each other's whims. Medeski's voluble keyboard work, Martin's can't-help-but-make-you-nod beats, and Wood's bouncing bass perfectly complement Scofield's tasteful, "yes I could rip but that's not what this calls for" approach to his six string. If the records the last two weeks haven't been your thing, this one is a different beast entirely.