I still haven’t wrapped up my thoughts on the Paul Simon show on Wednesday night but the week rolls on! I’m not sure what you’re doing tonight, but my Friday night plans to go check out John Scofield at Grace Cathedral here in SF are fast approaching. And I’m really excited about this one; my first chance to see Scofield outside of a setting I know him to be comfortable means that I’ve got a completely open mind about what type of music I’ll be hearing tonight. I only have one clue:
NOTE: Grace Cathedral’s soaring vault produces a natural, seven-second reverberation. This effect, different from typical concert hall acoustics, will be an integral component of this performance.
Seven seconds!
Here’s the rest of the info from SFJAZZ:
John Scofield is a philosopher of funk. In a brilliant career dating back to the fusion era of the mid 1970s, the guitarist has investigated just about every greasy, stanky, fuzzy, low down, deep-in-the-pocket groove, while never foregoing his roots as a master improviser who’s accompanied giants such as Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, and Joe Henderson. Over the years he’s honed tight relationships with a multi-generational cast of musicians, including renegades like Medeski Martin and Wood. More recently on 2009’s Piety Street (EmArcy) he distilled the essence of his sound for a celebration of gospel legends like Mahalia Jackson, Thomas A. Dorsey and Dorothy Love Coates, which makes his Sacred Space debut at Grace Cathedral feel particularly apt. It’s a majestic, reverberant setting that provides musicians a rare forum for contemplative spiritual soliloquies, and audiences a supremely intimate musical encounter. For Scofield, the cathedral offers an opportunity to get back in touch with his sanctified side, and a grand space where his bountiful soul can soar.
I’ve only seen John Scofield once a long time back, and it was a less-than-stellar show given that he was onstage the whole night trying to fix the sound guy’s issues. I’m thinking this rewrites that memory and I’ll be seeing this legend for years to come.