Piety Street

by

John Scofield

Edit

I'm going to make this short and sweet. After reading a lot negative reviews for this album I was a little hesitant to pick it up. But after listening to the first track I knew I was in for a great ride. This album is funky, soulful and fantastically played. If you're expecting a jazz album, prepare to be disappointed. But if you just like music and don't worry about genre, pick this up. Sco's guitar playing on here is great. Not very jazzy, more bluesy than anything. But he brings the adventurousness and harmonic knowledge gained from jazz to the table. Jon Cleary is a great singer for this style of music and George Porter is as funky as ever. If they played this in church I might actually show up.

...how could this go wrong? The band is fierce: session ace Ricky Fataar, Meters bassman George Porter, Jr., Brit-turned-Nawlins keyboard ace Jon Cleary (who is also a fine singer), and Scofield doing his trademark twitch and twang on top.

I will say that I saw this band live in Boston, and they were riveting! There was genuine joy in the interplay, the backbeat was firm, the improvisations were loose and quirky, and the singing (by Cleary and Porter) was soulful and invigorating. It was one of the better shows I'd seen in recent memory.

That said, this album is astonishingly lifeless. Like a lot of contemporary soul stuff coming out of New Orleans these days, it feels over-produced and stifled. There is way more digital clarity then analog fun. The interplay and fun from the live show is nowhere to be heard. It just has none of the groove and swing and gritty fun that I heard in person.

I would say by all means check these guys out on the road while you can (Scofield's website has tour dates), and maybe spend your Scofield CD budget on "Quiet" or the live trio album with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart.