John Scofield - Shinola ***

An album catching Scofield in transition. Having served his apprenticeships with Mingus, Konitz and Burton, this was his last release prior to the “breakthrough” years with Miles, and a good eight years before the classic Blue Note releases which really saw him craft his own voice. Here, although live, he’s surprisingly mellow, and on ‘Jean The Bean’ comes on as an unlikley Barney Kessell acolyte, while ‘Yawn’ is an equally laid back blues-ballad which doesn’t really have the spark of anything particularly Sco about it. By contrast ‘Rags To Riches’ is one of those quirky, peg-leg rhythmed, raggedy but rigorous explorations that Sco would increasingly take on. But throughout, the real star is Swallow, still probably Sco’s role model at this stage in his career (maybe that’s why Sco is a little restrained). Swallow’s chordal strength, his liquid harmonies, almost comping behind Scofield, or his own melody lines entwining with Sco’s runs, seem so effortless, yet always pertinent. A worthy re-release to reflect on Scofield’s slow-burning early years, but not one otherwise to get hot under the collar about. Andy Robson