He recorded with Charles Mingus in 1976, and replaced Pat Metheny in Gary Burton's quartet. In autumn 1976 he signed a contract with Enja Records, and he released his first album East Meets West in 1977. In 1979 he formed a trio with Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum. He later joined Miles Davis, with whom he remained until 1985.
While still with Davis, he released Electric Outlet (1984). Still Warm (1985) followed after he left Davis's group.
At the beginning of the 1990s, he formed a quartet with Joe Lovano with whom he recorded several important albums for Blue Note Records. Time on My Hands (1990), with Lovano, Charlie Haden and Jack DeJohnette, showcased Scofield's guitar and Mingus-influenced writing. Bill Stewart subsequently became the group's drummer, and played on Meant to Be (1991) and What We Do (1993). In 1992, Scofield released Grace Under Pressure, featuring fellow guitarist Bill Frisell, with Charlie Haden on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Stewart was back in the drum chair for the 1994 collaboration with Pat Metheny, I Can See Your House from Here. Also, in 1997 he recorded "A Go Go" LP, supported by the fame of Medeski, Martin and Wood, truly a masterpiece with range of lounge music and finest funk feel behind the beat.
Towards the end of his tenure with Blue Note, Scofield returned to a more funk- and soul jazz-oriented sound, a direction which has dominated much of his subsequent output. At this time, he also started performing with various jambands, and even performed with DJ Logic to cover Phish's "Cars Trucks Buses", on Sharin' in the Groove (2001).
He released Überjam in 2002 and Up All Night in 2004, two albums on which he experiments with drum n bass and other modern rhythms. Late 2004 saw the release of En Route, which features the jazz trio of John Scofield, Steve Swallow on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. It was recorded live at The Blue Note, NYC in December 2003.
More recently Scofield has been jamming with the likes of Medeski, Martin and Wood, and has even gone so far as to record an album with them, this time with equal billing, as Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood.
On September 26, 2006 he released Out Louder, his second collaborative effort album with avant garde jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood.
On September 18, 2007 he released This Meets That, a record featuring his trio with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart. This time John added a horn section to expand the sound of his trio. The touring unit for this record features the Sco Horns, a three piece horn section of Phil Grenadier on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tom Olin on tenor saxophone, flute and alto flute and Frank Vacin on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet.
Presently, Scofield is a part of the NYU/Steindhart Jazz program in New York City, as a faculty member.
A Go Go
John Scofield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To all wavebands on earth
Reconnoitre on the killahertz
This tune is going out to Marconi
To all corners of the globe
There ain't no hut in the Serengeti
Where my wavelengths do not probe
We sure hope a D.J. is on board
For some anti-gravity mixing
With two dub plates of U-Roy
Throwdown Stray Cat strut in Bulawayo, hey, Bulawayo
Buddy Rich in Burundi
Quadrophenia in Armenia
Armenia City In The Sky
Big Youth booming in Djkarta
Nina Simone over Sierra Leone
Wild sound of Joujouka in Nevada, hey, Joujouka
Everywhere, everywhere Bob's bringing it all back home
Yeah, I let the boogie-woogie rumble
In the back of Bangalore
I get complaints from Bondi Beach
What, no longboard surf hardcore
Oh, send the rock steady out to Freddy
Who juggles plates in Tsing Tao City
'Cause tonight Bo Diddley's in Finland Station, hey, Bo Diddley
Sun Ra's in Omaha
The Skatalites in New York City, hey, Skatalites
The Stooges rule over Habana
The Bhundu Boys rock Acapulco, hey, hey Bhundu Boys
Good hip hop in Islamabad
Ali Farke Toure's in Oaxaca, hey, Farke Toure
And Baaba Maal's all over Stalingrad
Yeah, while some are waking, some are sleeping
From Kamchatka to the Gabon
Above the trade wind, wingtips beating
We calling out for Ronnie and da-do Ron, Ron, Ron
We call the Cumbria to tumble
From the peak of the Himalayas
We send the funk into the jungle
To the last outpost of the bass player
The opening lyrics to John Scofield's "A Go Go" is a nod to the power of music and the reach of the DJ's sound waves. The DJ sends out a "world service bulletin" from the night shift to all wavebands on earth through reconnaissance on the killahertz. The song connects people and places through music, sending sound waves everywhere from the Serengeti to Saturn. It boasts of bringing the world together, with diverse genres like Bo Diddley in Finland Station, Sun Ra in Omaha, and Nina Simone over Sierra Leone. Scofield reminds us that music has the power to unite people from all over the world.
The song continues with quirky references, as it brings together a variety of different music from across the globe. The Stray Cats strut in Bulawayo, Buddy Rich in Burundi, and Quadrophenia in Armenia. Scofield even brings in local references, like the complaints he receives from Bondi Beach with no longboard surf hardcore. The song highlights the power of music to be everywhere at once, and brings different cultures and genres under one umbrella. Essentially, the song celebrates the beauty of multiculturalism through music.
Line by Line Meaning
World service bulletin from the nightshift D.J.
This is a message to everyone listening on every frequency around the world from a DJ working the night shift.
To all wavebands on earth
This song is reaching out to every frequency of sound available on our planet.
Reconnoitre on the killahertz
Constantly searching the airwaves for new and exciting sounds to share.
This tune is going out to Marconi
This music is dedicated to Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio, who made it possible to transmit sound across the world.
To all corners of the globe
Making sure this song reaches every single part of the world.
There ain't no hut in the Serengeti
There's no place too remote, even in the vast Serengeti plain in Africa, where these sounds cannot reach.
Where my wavelengths do not probe
This DJ is constantly exploring new wavelengths to find the perfect mix of sounds to share with the world.
If a rocket went to Saturn
Even if we travel to the outer reaches of our solar system, this DJ hopes to take their sound with them.
We sure hope a D.J. is on board
If we ever travel to Saturn, we hope there's a DJ on board to provide the music!
For some anti-gravity mixing
Songs that are perfect for enjoying in the zero-gravity environment of space travel.
With two dub plates of U-Roy
Bringing some classic reggae to spice up the space journey.
Throwdown Stray Cat strut in Bulawayo, hey, Bulawayo
Playing some classic rockabilly music in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Buddy Rich in Burundi
Bringing the rhythms of jazz drummer Buddy Rich to the central African country of Burundi.
Quadrophenia in Armenia
Sharing the classic album by The Who with music lovers in Armenia.
Armenia City In The Sky
Reference to a song by The Who, which is being played for Armenian listeners.
Big Youth booming in Djkarta
Introducing the sounds of reggae singer Big Youth to the listeners in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Nina Simone over Sierra Leone
Playing the iconic music of Nina Simone for the people of war-torn Sierra Leone.
Wild sound of Joujouka in Nevada, hey, Joujouka
Sharing the hypnotic sounds of a traditional Moroccan music group called Joujouka with the people of the American state of Nevada.
Everywhere, everywhere Bob's bringing it all back home
Bob is sharing music from all over the world and bringing it back to its roots, making it feel like home to everyone listening.
Yeah, I let the boogie-woogie rumble
Letting the rhythm and energy of the boogie-woogie style music take over.
In the back of Bangalore
Playing some groovy tunes in Bangalore, a city in southern India.
I get complaints from Bondi Beach
Even the beach-goers in Sydney, Australia are getting in on the music.
What, no longboard surf hardcore
Jokingly responding to the listeners who want more of a specific genre - in this case, surf music for longboard riders.
Oh, send the rock steady out to Freddy
Playing some classic rock steady music for a listener named Freddy.
Who juggles plates in Tsing Tao City
Describing the everyday activities of one of the listeners in the Chinese city of Qingdao.
'Cause tonight Bo Diddley's in Finland Station, hey, Bo Diddley
Celebrating the music of Bo Diddley, who is being played for listeners in the Finnish city of Helsinki.
Sun Ra's in Omaha
Introducing the experimental jazz sounds of Sun Ra to the people of Omaha, Nebraska.
The Skatalites in New York City, hey, Skatalites
Sharing some of the best ska music from The Skatalites with listeners in New York City.
The Stooges rule over Habana
Sharing the hard rock and punk sounds of The Stooges with the people of Havana, Cuba.
The Bhundu Boys rock Acapulco, hey, hey Bhundu Boys
Bringing some Zimbabwean pop music to the beaches of Acapulco, Mexico.
Good hip hop in Islamabad
Sharing some of the best hip hop music with the people of Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan.
Ali Farke Toure's in Oaxaca, hey, Farke Toure
Playing some of Ali Farke Toure's music, famous Mali musician, for the people of the Mexican city of Oaxaca.
And Baaba Maal's all over Stalingrad
Bringing the sounds of Senegalese musician Baaba Maal to the people living in the devastated city of Stalingrad in Russia.
Yeah, while some are waking, some are sleeping
This music is reaching people all over the world, no matter what time it is.
From Kamchatka to the Gabon
These sounds are reaching every corner of the world, from the far eastern reaches of Russia to the equatorial forests of Gabon in Africa.
Above the trade wind, wingtips beating
Some people are listening to this music on airplanes, high above the trade winds, with the sound of the engines acting as a beat.
We calling out for Ronnie and da-do Ron, Ron, Ron
Everyone listening is joining in, calling out on the radio for their favorite songs to be played next.
We call the Cumbria to tumble
Shaking things up in Cumbria, England with some wild and experimental music.
From the peak of the Himalayas
Even the highest mountain range in the world is not immune to this music's reach.
We send the funk into the jungle
Bringing some funky, groove-filled music to the dense jungles of South America.
To the last outpost of the bass player
Even the most isolated and remote places in the world are receiving this music, and the bass line is still heard loud and clear.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: COOK, DOGG, SHIELDS, SLATTERY, STRUMMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bingobango4840
John Scofield's tone literally sounds like a chicken clucking, and I love it. This is one of my favorite albums, and I'm an old metalhead. Lol
@uncafunk
Also has an " I gotta pee but it's all good " vibe
@S7REULI
@@uncafunk Hahahahahhaa I love it
@NeilRaouf
this album is 11/10
@marKism69
Amazing band, amazing and unique guitar playing, amazing tone. One of the best albums in this genre (whatever it is lol..) of ALL TIME.
@NeilRaouf
This album is on my favourite music ever-list. And the list includes the likes of bewthoven, morricone, miles, bird, holdsworth, steve reich, ravel....so john you made this album to be one of the soundtracks of my life!! Dig you a lot man!!
@gregoroque
Every instrument here is so on point, I just shed a tear
@NeilRaouf
the production is mindblowingly good too. the musicianship helps of course 😂
@create306
His tone is so distinct as well as his playing. Saw him in 2018, so glad I did.
@puffycattopdog420
Holy shit I love Scofield 😊😊