Monterey 2009: John Scofield & Piety Street
Guitarist John Scofield got deep-fried and sanctified as he opened the Saturday Arena program at the 52nd annual Monterey Jazz Festival. His Piety Street Band (as heard on the recent CD, Piety Street) presented an infectious, New Orleans bred blend of gospel, blues and soul that got the early afternoon crowd clapping and finger-snapping.
One does not need to be a believer to be gripped by these tunes — their roots run so deep and branches spread so broadly through American popular music that they’ve become a part of the national character. On straight-up gospel chestnuts like “Walk with Me” or the barn-burner “It’s a Big Army,” Scofield’s guitar sang and stung, holy-roller wails sparring with jook-joint grease. As his lines flew high or got down into the Mississippi mud, it was almost as if God and the Devil were vying for control of Scofield’s guitar.
Jon Cleary pulled triple duty, providing deep-soul vocals, elegantly trilling piano and suitably churchlike organ moans, while acoustic bassist Roland Guerin and New Orleans drummer Shannon Powell marched the music to Gloryland.
But the set’s biggest success came on a change-up, a Hank Williams tune called “The Angel of Death.” Scofield described Williams’ lyrics as the scariest he’d ever heard, but the Piety Street rendition proved more moving than frightening. Building from a lonely, Appalachian-tinged guitar solo, the tune was somber and slow as a pallbearer’s procession. Scofield turned in his best work of the hour, with aching, eloquent lines full of subtle modulations that resonated against Cleary’s low organ tones. It was a chilling, purposeful moment, one that even a low-flying jet from the nearby airport could not shatter.
Filed Under: MJF/52 - 2009 • Monterey Jazz Festival
An amazing CD, would have loved to have seen this one. So jealous.