John Scofield (born December 26, 1951 in Dayton, Ohio)
One of the "big three" of current jazz guitarists (along with
Pat Metheny and
Bill Frisell), John Scofield's influence grew in the ′90s.
Possessor of a very distinctive rock-oriented sound that is often a bit distorted, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, fusion, and soul jazz.
He started on guitar while at high school in Connecticut, and from 1970-1973 Scofield studied at Berklee and played in the Boston area. After recording with
Gerry Mulligan and
Chet Baker at
Carnegie Hall, Scofield was a member of the
Billy Cobham-George Duke band for two years. In 1977 he recorded with
Charles Mingus, and later joined the
Gary Burton quartet and
Dave Liebman's quintet. His own early sessions as a leader were funk-oriented. During 1982-1985 Scofield toured the world and recorded with
Miles Davis.