Artist: John Scofield

John Scofield is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz,  jazz fusion, funk, blues,  soul and rock.

He first came to mainstream attention in the band of Miles Davis, and has toured and recorded with many prominent jazz artists, including saxophonists  Eddie Harris, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson and Joe Lovano; keyboardists George Duke, Joey DeFrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Larry Goldings and  Robert Glasper; fellow guitarists Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Pat Martino and Bill Frisell; bassists  Marc Johnson and  Jaco Pastorius; and drummer Billy Cobham and  Dennis Chambers. Outside the world of jazz, he has collaborated with Phil Lesh, Mavis Staples, John Mayer, Medeski Martin & Wood, and Gov’t Mule. 

Scofield was born in Ohio, and attended the Berklee College of Music, but left to record with Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan. He joined the Billy Cobham/ George Duke Band soon after and spent two years playing, recording, and touring with them. He recorded with Charles Mingus in 1976 and replaced Pat Metheny in Gary Burton's quartet. 

In 1976 Scofield signed with Enja, which released his first album, John Scofield, in 1977. He recorded with pianist Hal Galper on  Rough House in 1978 and then on Galper's album Ivory Forest  (1980), where he played a solo rendition of "Monk's Mood" by  Thelonious Monk. In 1979 he formed a trio with his mentor Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum which, with drummer Bill Stewart replacing Nussbaum, became the signature group of Scofield's careers. 

In 1982, he joined Miles Davis, with whom he remained for over three years. He contributed tunes and guitar to three of Davis's albums, Star People,  Decoy, and You're Under Arrest. After he left Davis, he released Electric Outlet (1984) and Still Warm  (1985).

He started what is referred to as his Blue Matter Band, with Dennis Chambers on drums, Gary Grainger on bass, and Mitchel Forman, Robert Aries, or Jim Beard on keyboards. The band released the albums Blue Matter, Loud Jazz and Pick Hits Live. Marc Johnson formed Bass Desires with Peter Erskine, Bill Frisell, and Scofield. This "most auspicious [pairing] since John McLaughlin  and Carlos Santana"  recorded two albums, Bass Desires (1986) and  Second Sight (1987).