Swallow Talesis a studio album byjazzguitaristJohn Scofieldrecorded in March 2019 and released onECMJune the following year. The trio features rhythm sectionSteve SwallowandBill Stewart.Swallow Talesrefers to the trio's bassist, who composed the nine tracks, re-arranged for the recording.[11][12]
| Swallow Tales | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | June 12, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | March 2019 | |||
| Studio | James L. Dolan Recording Studio NYU Steinhardt | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 53:16 | |||
| Label | ECM2679 | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| John Scofieldchronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz |   [1] |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| The Arts Desk | [3] |
| DownBeat | [4] |
| Financial Times | [5] |
| Jazz Journal | [6] |
| Jazzwise | [7] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[8] |
| RTE.ie | [9] |
| The Times | [10] |
Reception
editChris Pearson in his review forThe Timeswrote, "This set, taped in half a day by a trio led by the American guitarist John Scofield, centres on that legacy to set the record straight."[10]
A review byRTE.iestated, "In sum, a collection of sensitive, knowing interpretations of the Swallow classics which you should let play continuously until the inevitable result - you will need its sound in your life for a while, weaving in and out of your rooms."[9]
Matt Collar ofAllMusicadded, "The album arrives on the heels of several other Scofield small group sessions, including 2017'sHudsonand 2018'sCombo 66... It's a sound whose earthy lilt sometimes has the feel of a three-member vocal group, rather than an instrumental trio. "[2]
Will Layman ofPopMatterscommented, "The jazz guitar trio is a classic format, and John Scofield, Steve Swallow, and Bill Stewart are as well-equipped as many musicians could be to venerate it and renew it a bit. That is the accomplishment ofSwallow Tales."[8]
Michael Ullman in his review forThe Arts Fusenoted, "This is an intelligent, inventively performed, be-boppish tribute to a composer I now know better than ever."[13]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Steve Swallow
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She Was Young" | 9:33 |
| 2. | "Falling Grace" | 5:27 |
| 3. | "Portsmouth Figurations" | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Awful Coffee" | 9:28 |
| 5. | "Eiderdown" | 7:13 |
| 6. | "Hullo Bolinas" | 4:15 |
| 7. | "Away" | 4:54 |
| 8. | "In F" | 4:34 |
| 9. | "Radio" | 4:21 |
| Total length: | 53:16 | |
Personnel
edit- John Scofield – guitars
- Steve Swallow– bass
- Bill Stewart– drums
Production
edit- Tyler McDiarmid – engineer
- Sascha Kleis – design
- Mark Franosch – cover photography
- Roberto Cifarelli – liner photography
- John Scofield – liner notes
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] | 96 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 56 |
References
edit- ^Patterson, Ian (June 16, 2020)."John Scofield: Swallow Tales album review @ All About Jazz".All About Jazz.Retrieved2 July2020.
- ^abCollar, Matt (2020)."Swallow Tales - John Scofield | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".AllMusic.Retrieved15 June2020.
- ^Scotney, Sebastian (6 June 2020)."Album: John Scofield, Steve Swallow, Bill Stewart - Swallow Tales".The Arts Desk.Retrieved2 July2020.
- ^Cohen, Aaron (August 2020)."John Scofield: Swallow Tales (ECM)".DownBeat.Retrieved31 May2021.
- ^Hobart, Mike (12 June 2020)."John Scofield: Swallow Tales — an irresistible polyrhythmic pulse".Financial Times.Retrieved31 May2021.
- ^Gilbert, Mark (22 June 2020)."John Scofield: Swallow Tales".Jazz Journal.Retrieved2 July2020.
- ^Fordham, John (2020)."JOHN SCOFIELD: SWALLOW TALES".Jazzwise.Retrieved31 May2021.
- ^abLayman, Will (23 June 2020)."John Scofield Renews the Jazz Guitar Trio on 'Swallow Tales', PopMatters".PopMatters.Retrieved31 May2021.
- ^ab"Album review: John Scofield Swallow Tales".RTE.ie.14 June 2020.Retrieved15 June2020.
- ^abPearson, Chris (May 29, 2020)."John Scofield: Swallow Tales — mercurial pieces don't soften the great jazz-rocker".The Times.Retrieved15 June2020.
- ^"ECM Records".SWALLOW TALES by JOHN SCOFIELD, STEVE SWALLOW, BILL STEWART.ECM Records.Retrieved15 June2020.
- ^"John Scofield: Swallow Tales — an irresistible polyrhythmic pulse".Financial Times.Retrieved15 June2020.
- ^Ullman, Michael (27 May 2020)."Jazz CD Review: John Scofield's" Swallow Tales "— Steve Swallow's Quirky Romanticism".The Arts Fuse.Retrieved2 July2020.
- ^"Offiziellecharts.de – John Scofield / Bill Stewart / Steve Swallow – Swallow Tales"(in German).GfK Entertainment Charts.Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^"Swisscharts – John Scofield / Bill Stewart / Steve Swallow – Swallow Tales".Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 June 2020.