Bump

John Scofield continued to use his Verve Records contract for unusual outings -- like this one, his third release for the label, following the acoustic disc Quiet and A Go Go (which featured Medeski, Martin, and Wood). On Bump, he retained bassist Chris Wood and added Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen (the rhythm section from Sex Mob), keyboardist Mark De Gli Antoni from Soul Coughing, and drummer Eric Kalb and conga player Johnny Durkin from Deep Banana Blackout. Such sidemen allowed him to delve even more deeply into the second-line funk he had explored earlier in his career; indeed, "Three Sisters," the leadoff track, sounded like something Allen Toussaint might have produced for the Meters in the early '70s. The focus was always on the guitarist, and Scofield could remind you of Carlos Santana (on "Swinganova") or evoke Jeff Beck (on "Fez"). For the most part, however, he sounded like himself back in his days with Miles Davis, though by now, his playing was less busy and more fluid.