John Scofield on a 1951 Stromberg Master 400

[Jimmy blue note]

The FAQ on his website says the opposite of this.


https://www.johnscofield.com/faq/

Q May I tape your show?
A That varies. Some of my more straight-ahead jazz shows include musicians who are not accustomed to the taping practices of younger audiences and they aren’t good with it. If they say no, I say no. Most of my shows are OK to tape as long as the venue is OK with it. That’s between you and them! You can’t patch into the board. Please keep your gear out of the sightline of other audience members and please don’t make bootleg cds! Tape, listen but please don’t sell.

Yeah, I'm glad he knows his audience. I have known him to play venues, and in particular workshops and Question & Answer sessions, and small intimate venues where there are not "performance standards" (as this intimate situation is) where it's not cool to record him.
A show. It's meant to be heard. Rehearsals, candid interviews and intimate banter, something not intended or designed for performance, that can be a very different story.
Anyway this is out there, I assume he's OK with it, but I have a feeling his approach was more casual and his soloing not as polished as if he were putting on a "show". That's all I'm saying.
He's a professional. He knows it.

[kris]

If I got a guitar to test and the guitar didn"t fit me, I wouldn"t agree to record me.
The same is true of songs at the listener"s request.
If I don"t know the standard exactly, I don"t play it.

[Jimmy blue note]

If I got a guitar to test and the guitar didn"t fit me, I wouldn"t agree to record me.
The same is true of songs at the listener"s request.
If I don"t know the standard exactly, I don"t play it.

I used to take lessons and see Tal Farlow at The Sign of the Times in Seabright NJ. The kind of place where he made his own signs and everybody knew one another and nobody talked during but everyone hung out between sets.
Tal was on a friendly basis all the time it seemed so players would come far and wide because he was generous with his time and company.
Tal had his favourite tunes, and his book was familiar to him and his trio. One day I asked him if he could play Days of Wine and Roses the next set. He looked thoughtful, picked up his guitar and went on to pick out a gorgeous chord melody of the tune, taking thoughtful pauses in one or two places to coordinate what he was hearing with what he was playing. When he finished, he looked at me apologetically and said "I'm sorry. I don't know it well enough."
I heard something something extraordinarily intimate that I'll remember my whole life that night, and it was because because it was shared knowing it wasn't for public consumption but rather part of a one on one conversation.

[Jimmy blue note]

When you find an instrument that lets you be yourself, it doesn't matter what the name on the headstock is, or how much it costs, a good match lets you be a better musician.
This appears to be John playing another "never touched it before" instrument, but this time, something, the set up, the strings, the response of the neck, who knows, is just right.
Now this sounds like the Sco I love, the dialogue between the elements of the instrument (range of instrument, accessibility to notes across and along the instrument, ease of attack while being able to cleanly sustain...) and the elements of John's playing (single line, chordal, chords used melodically along and harmonically all around the instrument, nuance of bend, dynamic contrast, tiny amount of space that frames every note, the connection between each personality infused phrase...).
When it's a good match, it feels natural and the ideas and expression achieve a clarity that comes when the guitar doesn't get in the way.
https://youtube.com/shorts/KTatFJ5XZ...9E3gzqa9yDN7d_

[kris]

When you find an instrument that lets you be yourself, it doesn't matter what the name on the headstock is, or how much it costs, a good match lets you be a better musician.
This appears to be John playing another "never touched it before" instrument, but this time, something, the set up, the strings, the response of the neck, who knows, is just right.
Now this sounds like the Sco I love, the dialogue between the elements of the instrument (range of instrument, accessibility to notes across and along the instrument, ease of attack while being able to cleanly sustain...) and the elements of John's playing (single line, chordal, chords used melodically along and harmonically all around the instrument, nuance of bend, dynamic contrast, tiny amount of space that frames every note, the connection between each personality infused phrase...).
When it's a good match, it feels natural and the ideas and expression achieve a clarity that comes when the guitar doesn't get in the way.
https://youtube.com/shorts/KTatFJ5XZ...9E3gzqa9yDN7d_

+1
You are 100% right.
John feels better on the guitar with pickups...I think.
John Scofield on Alvino Rey’s 1-of-1 double Charlie Es-250. Thanks John! #jazzguitar #gibson - YouTube