Monday, September 20, 2010

Scofield-Mendoza Collaboration, Lloyd's New Quartet - Bob

The collaboration heard on John Scofield's new CD -- "54" -- had its origins back in the '90s when Vince Mendoza asked the guitarist to play on his first album. Scofield has since been on two more of Mendoza's records. When Mendoza assumed directorship of the Metropole Orchestra of the Netherlands in 2005, he and Scofield decided to collaborate again with primary focus on Mendoza's arrangements of Scofield compositions as performed with the Orchestra. Scofield says, "Vince is one of the most creative arrangers today and his sensibilities are perfect for my compositions. This orchestra is unique to any other I know of in its ability to play with a natural jazz feeling."

Many critics have opined that Charles Lloyd's new quartet with pianist Jason Moran, bassist Reuben Rodgers and drummer Eric Harland may be the best of all his groups. The quartet's previous live release in this line-up met with across-the-board approval and was voted number one album of the years in both the Critics and Readers Polls of Jazz Times magazine. "Mirror" is the first studio CD by the unit and it features beautiful, transformed versions of favorites including both Lloyd originals and tunes he has made his own over the years.

1 comment:

Sarah said...

Nice blog post,,