John Scofield: A Go Go

John Scofield's formidable career has seen him teamed with players as diverse as Miles Davis and Bill Frisell. The famed guitarist isn't afraid to branch out stylistically, either: His own music has ranged from delicate acoustic compositions to fiery funk fusion. But Scofield's latest album, A Go Go, matches America's premier jazz guitarist with America's premier crossover band, Medeski, Martin, and Wood, and the results are everything you'd expect when such titans collaborate. The title track is a series of subtle variations on one cool theme, while "Chank" and "Boozer" subtly quote from James Brown's "Cold Sweat" and Joe Zawinal's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," respectively. Though the compositions are all credited to Scofield, there's a lot of give-and-take going on here, especially on the part of organ prodigy John Medeski, whose popcorn playing deftly dances around Scofield's fluid guitar lines. In fact, Scofield and MMW actually enhance each other's playing: Scofield finally gets a chance to sound as funky as he sometimes thinks he is, and MMW's generally meandering grooves are given some guidance and structure through Scofield's fine support playing. Tracks like the deliciously stuttering "Southern Pacific" and the appropriately cinematic "Kubrick" find all players at the top of their game.