Well, several things to talk about. One thing about Carlton: I heard him
many years ago play in a quartet with Tommy Tedesco. They played mostly
standards( I remember Green Dolphin st and All Blues were 2 of them) and he
sounded real good if maybe slightly uncomfortable in that context. I don't
know that he could do that now though.
But I really wanted to talk about Scofield. I've always found him to be
rather humble about his playing. He'd be the first to admit that he's still
trying to become a better player. That said, he's adapted his technique
using things such as extensive use of hammer-ons and pull-offs, wide
interval leaps and 2 note intervals played together to forge one of the most
recognizable and imitated styles in jazz guitar. His playing has a sort of
awkward, jerky feel in comparison to someone like Metheny but I think that
is deliberate. To find an individual voice and be able to successfully apply
it in any relevant musical context can be an elusive goal but I think
Scofield has achieved that. When I first heard him I thought he wasn't a
very good player but then that's what I thought the first time I heard
Miles.
Brad R
