JOHN SCOFIELD / BILL STEWART / STEVE SWALLOW - Swallow Tales
ECM 083 6036
John Scofield (guitar); Bil Stewart (drums); Steve Swallow (bass)
Recorded March 2019
Quite simply this is a wonderful album on every level. Great tunes, deeply swinging straight ahead jazz that is completely in the tradition and yet totally of today. The music made is of the moment by three music utterly engrossed in the compositions and each other. On paper this very much looks like a super group, the reality is a masterclass in jazz and spontaneous creation. Small group improvisation does not get any better than this.
It could be said that the seeds for this recording were sown many years ago when a twenty year old John Scofield met Steve Swallow at Berklee College when the guitarist began his studies there. The association has continued for more than forty years culminating in this superb recording. Drawing on a repertoire made up of Swallow's best known tunes as well as some less familiar works, and was recorded "old school" style as Scofield notes with the session completed in a single afternoon.
Having studied the compositions at Berklee with both Gary Burton and the composer, Scofield refers to these songs as his standards and indeed plays them with such an authoritative understanding of the chords, underlying lying harmony, and importantly the composer's intent. This should not imply that there is any notion of dry and dusty academic exercise. Scofield digs into the material as if the tunes were completely fresh, bringing his unique harmonic sense to the fore in some truly inspiring improvisations. Swallow is with him every step of the way, and so attuned are the two musicians that the guitar and bass lines are inextricably bound together. Drummer, Bill Stewart, not to be left out of the party slots in perfectly. He keeps the music grounded and swinging, also contributing his own commentary and distinctively melodic voice to ensure the trio work as one. This three-way communication is is evident throughout this superbly programmed selection, with beautiful readings of 'Hullo Bolinas' and the delectable ballad, 'Away', with the slower tempos permitting that little extra space to savour the melodies and tone of both guitar and bass (Steve Swallow solos brilliantly on both).
The durability and flexibility of Swallow's compositions have been proven time and time again over the years with vibes maestro, Gary Burton retaining some of the bassist's compositions as a staple of repertoire, with very different arrangements of 'Falling Grace', 'Radio' and 'Hullo Bolinas' that he recorded in duets with pianist, Chick Corea. These classics also appear here, and again are tackled in a fresh and imaginative manner by the trio who dig in hard on 'Radio' that closes the set. Scofield, Stewart and Swallow also get to stretch out on the longer pieces, with the guitarist taking a detailed examination of the exquisite 'She Was Young' that first appeared on Swallow's 1979 album, Home, and sung by Sheila Jordan. 'Awful Coffee' and ;Eiderdown' also receive a similar treatment with the trio investigating the rhythmic and harmonic possibility of each from every angle, with Scofield's incisive and melodic lines cutting through.
If this is perhaps one of the stand-alone definitive trio albums of recent times, in the true spirit of the greatest jazz recordings Swallow Tales also acknowledges the past glories of the music while hinting at what is yet to come.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
ECM 083 6036
John Scofield (guitar); Bil Stewart (drums); Steve Swallow (bass)
Recorded March 2019
Quite simply this is a wonderful album on every level. Great tunes, deeply swinging straight ahead jazz that is completely in the tradition and yet totally of today. The music made is of the moment by three music utterly engrossed in the compositions and each other. On paper this very much looks like a super group, the reality is a masterclass in jazz and spontaneous creation. Small group improvisation does not get any better than this.
It could be said that the seeds for this recording were sown many years ago when a twenty year old John Scofield met Steve Swallow at Berklee College when the guitarist began his studies there. The association has continued for more than forty years culminating in this superb recording. Drawing on a repertoire made up of Swallow's best known tunes as well as some less familiar works, and was recorded "old school" style as Scofield notes with the session completed in a single afternoon.
Having studied the compositions at Berklee with both Gary Burton and the composer, Scofield refers to these songs as his standards and indeed plays them with such an authoritative understanding of the chords, underlying lying harmony, and importantly the composer's intent. This should not imply that there is any notion of dry and dusty academic exercise. Scofield digs into the material as if the tunes were completely fresh, bringing his unique harmonic sense to the fore in some truly inspiring improvisations. Swallow is with him every step of the way, and so attuned are the two musicians that the guitar and bass lines are inextricably bound together. Drummer, Bill Stewart, not to be left out of the party slots in perfectly. He keeps the music grounded and swinging, also contributing his own commentary and distinctively melodic voice to ensure the trio work as one. This three-way communication is is evident throughout this superbly programmed selection, with beautiful readings of 'Hullo Bolinas' and the delectable ballad, 'Away', with the slower tempos permitting that little extra space to savour the melodies and tone of both guitar and bass (Steve Swallow solos brilliantly on both).
The durability and flexibility of Swallow's compositions have been proven time and time again over the years with vibes maestro, Gary Burton retaining some of the bassist's compositions as a staple of repertoire, with very different arrangements of 'Falling Grace', 'Radio' and 'Hullo Bolinas' that he recorded in duets with pianist, Chick Corea. These classics also appear here, and again are tackled in a fresh and imaginative manner by the trio who dig in hard on 'Radio' that closes the set. Scofield, Stewart and Swallow also get to stretch out on the longer pieces, with the guitarist taking a detailed examination of the exquisite 'She Was Young' that first appeared on Swallow's 1979 album, Home, and sung by Sheila Jordan. 'Awful Coffee' and ;Eiderdown' also receive a similar treatment with the trio investigating the rhythmic and harmonic possibility of each from every angle, with Scofield's incisive and melodic lines cutting through.
If this is perhaps one of the stand-alone definitive trio albums of recent times, in the true spirit of the greatest jazz recordings Swallow Tales also acknowledges the past glories of the music while hinting at what is yet to come.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
