John Scofield & Dave Holland – Memories of Home

To my knowledge, John Scofield had never recorded as a duo before, and the fact that he did so with Dave Holland was a particularly wise choice.

The two men know each other well and have played together, among others, in ScoLoHoFo, a short-lived group that also featured saxophonist Joe Lovano and drummer Al Foster.

Here, it is just their ten strings that engage in dialogue, and this exchange at the highest level is fascinating. Indeed, these two septuagenarians with impressive pedigrees succeed in revealing new facets of their talent. For this new recording, they have chosen to offer personal compositions, five by the guitarist and four by the bassist.

The former displays a rich sound, essentially devoid of pedal effects, which gives his instrument a singing tone to great effect. His supremely relaxed phrasing wanders through chords or single notes on harmonies often close to the blues, and it is a treat to hear his melodic invention unfold throughout the themes, telling stories that we never tire of hearing. Dave Holland, for his part, builds a discourse of impressive depth alongside his partner.

There are countless contexts in which the bassist has asserted a remarkable identity under his own name or as a sideman.

Here, he constantly works wonders, and we eagerly await his solo performances after providing Scofield with accompaniment of great subtlety and imperial rhythmic density. In this intimate setting, the sound of the double bass is a constant delight, and the dialogue between the two companions produces little gems, track after track.

More than a meeting of stars, this is a conversation between two strong personalities, and one wonders why it took them so long to reveal the obviousness of their fruitful complicity.

Musicians:

John Scofield: guitar

Dave Holland: double bass

Memories of Home is a Hit Couleurs Jazz, it was released by ECM Records, on November 21, 2025.