Still Warm

Omar Hakim and Darryl Jones, once Sting's peerless rhythm section, really lay down some fantastic grooves for Scofield to weave his dark magic over. Some really ambient yet driving soloing and riffing going on here, in one of JS's most musical creations to date.


Oh My!!! Check out that rhythm section!!!   October 29, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This album is simply one of the most unique, melodic, musical, and utterly GROOVING albums ever, not to mention the best of all of Sco's great albums. If you can imagine the harmony of Charles Ives, Stravinsky, or Debussy backed up by what's probably the most smoking rhythm section I've ever heard (as well as some of the best guitar improvisation and tones ever) you'll at least be on the right track...

For those of you who have some of his newer stuff, most of these songs are kind of the vein of "Fez" off of BUMP. Drummer Omar Hakim and bassist Daryl Jones play quite busily on this disc, but still somehow manage to leave plenty of space, a tribute to their many sessions played in the studio. Gosh, these songs are excellent--from the spacy vibe of "Techno" to the absolute lyrical beauty of the title track to the all-out frenzy of "Protocal", there ain't a bad tune in the bunch. It's a shame that this is out of print, but any of you musicians out there should do all in you power to get your hands on a used copy of this (sorry, I'm not selling mine...). Trust me, you've never heard anything like it.


Should be anyone's first Scofield purchase   December 23, 1999
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

After the fusion's heyday of the seventies, the eighties saw very little truly interesting or innovative music of that type. It seems that fusion was giving way to what was to be later called 'smooth jazz'. It was during this lean time that a former band member of the founder of fusion (Miles Davis) records what might be one of the best fusion records of all time: John Scofield's 'Still Warm'.

True to form, Scofield is best when he surrounds himself with top drawer players: drummer Omar Hakim of Weather Report and Sting fame; bassist Daryl Jones, now a member of a rather exclusive club called the Rolling Stones; and the late, overlooked master pianist/composer/arranger, Don Grolnick. Another legendary bass player, Steve Swallow, produced the session.

From the opening notes on 'Techno', it's quite clear that these musicians are going to play at the high level that they are capable of. Hakim and Jones join together in a bass/drum interplay that lesser musicians cannot possibly pull off. Scofield patiently makes his statement in pieces, keeping all three musicians front and center. Meanwhile, Grolnick's synthesizers stay out of the way, providing just enough texture to paint a background against which the others fill the details. The title song has a somewhat bluesy feel, with a gradually building climax on drums that slowly comes into focus. 'Protocol' is a tricky tune that shows off Scofield's ability to treat a song like a puzzle. 'Rule of Thumb' also presents a chellenging setting for Scofield, who attacks such assignments with typical agility. 'Picks and Pans' starts with a sense of foreboding to Sco's dark solo, becoming more aggressive with each bar. 'Gil 643' wraps up the whole thing on a softer note.

As the previous review suggested, 'Still Warm' is a great introduction into jazz. While on the surface it seems to be more rock and funk than jazz, it has as much subtleties and complexities as some of the more sophisticated straight jazz. Each listen will reveal something new to your ears.

If you are interested in adding a John Scofield to your CD collection, strongly consider 'Still Warm'. You might find yourself adding more his records after hearing this one a few times.