John Scofield - PIETY STREET

John Scofield - guitar
Jon Cleary - piano, organ, vocals
George Porter Jr - bass
Ricky Fataar - drums
John Bouttè - vocals
Shannon Powell - percussion

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.

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, Gov't Mule , and Phil Lesh.

With the release of Piety Street, Scofield takes his music to a new place. "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. "

Piety Street Sidemen

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 Bouttè 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.

Scofield Comments on Piety Street Tune by Tune

That's Enough
Originally by Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes...we have a tight groove on this one. Cleary sings the meaningful and interesting lyrics about social situations: "who needs a friend that I never had - I got Jesus that's enough"

Never Turn Back
A Thomas A.Dorsey composition that I moved into a funk groove and added some different changes. John Boutte sings the inspirational lyrics of how someone" turned to worldly pleasures but only found pain and woe, now he's back on the road to the city and won't never turn back no more!" I can relate to that one for sure! We jammed a vamp at the end and you can hear George spontaneously inserting my chord changes at the end.

Old Ship of Zion
Another Dorsey Classic, we only use the last 10 bars of the tune to make a form similar to a slow blues which is fun to blow on! I hope that's ok with Rev. Dorsey. Cleary turns off the Leslie speaker to get a funeral parlor type organ sound and the song ends with Boutte's soulful vocals.

99 and 1/2
Cleary on piano, organ and lead vocals! The lyrics discuss John the Baptist's head being served up on a platter in Rome but note he was cool cause he gave 100%...that's rough! This tune features fantastic tambourine work from Shannon ...Gospel shuffle! I love soloing over these changes! So many Gospel tunes have interesting harmonies where you can still play bluesy!

Angel of Death
We went for an atmospheric vibe on this one with Hank Williams' ominous lyrics! I changed the rhythm to a jazz 6/8. There was a cool Musicman amp in the studio with great tremolo so I used it for this one track...this and I'll Fly Away are quite "Country" in style.

I'll Fly Away
When I first played this with Cleary we did it in a New Orleans style but I felt it asked for a straight country feel so I asked Jon to play guitar on it too. My solo is a combo of Dixie/country/jazz/blues- it can all work together if you think melody and space. I love Ricky's subtle drums. He doesn't touch the bass drum till the out chorus vocal at the end!

His Eye is on the Sparrow
An old Traditional song that is usually played very slowly but we grooved it! I love the Soul Stirrers version which uses different harmonies from the others I've heard so we used those. I love the way Ricky and George locked on this one.

But I like the Message
This tune of mine takes traditional gospel harmonies and jazzes them up...killer Cleary piano solo...tambourine swings over Ricky's Latin beat. It felt so good I had to take two solos!

It's a Big Army
This Sco original combines a traditional gospel chant with real Bourbon Street type harmony - it's a gospel rave up! I mixed bop and blues on my solo...swinging here I hope. The great two fisted Cleary piano solo and the percussion break is Mardi Gras Indian all the way ala Shannon Powell. Kudos to Shannon, the "King of Treme"!

Walk With Me
Real slow new Orleans groove with Shannon's incredible drumming. The guitar solo intro is pretty "back porch" for me. Cleary's piano and voice are at his most soulful...one of the greatest I believe. I came up with the guitar/vocal harmonized "moaning" of the melody which is pretty cool, I think.

Sometimes I feel Like A Motherless Child
I completely changed the harmonies to this old folk song and I wrote an interlude section. Ricky really defines this tune with his solid rocking groove. The reggae jam at the end happened spontaneously in rehearsal and we kept it in. That scorching guitar sound... I love B.B!

Something's Got a Hold on Me
CoProducer Mark Bingham thought it would be great to have Cleary and Boutte sing lead together on one tune so here it is ...a la Sam n Dave

We took the Rev. James Cleveland's original version and stuck to the Shuffle groove featuring lots of Gospel hand claps. I'm glad my wahwah was working on this one cause something got hold of me!

Just a Little While
I knew this from Mahalia's recording and when I got to New Orleans I was surprised that everyone knew it as an uptempo tune from funerals there! I love the way we kept it spacious and slow with very formal lyrics that John made his own. He was all piano until we vamped at the end and Jon switched to organ at the last moment for my outgoing solo "squeakin' through the pearly gates"!

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