Memories of Home John Scofield & Dave Holland

• 1 Icons at the Fair 06:20
• 2 Meant to Be 06:31
• 3 Mine Are Blues 05:37
• 4 Memorette 06:10
• 5 Mr. B (Dedicated to Ray Brown) 05:52
• 6 Not for Nothin’ 05:56
• 7 Easy for You 08:10
• 8 You I Love 04:52
• 9 Memories of Home 05:28
• Total Runtime 54:56

Info for Memories of Home

Guitarist John Scofield and bassist Dave Holland, two of jazz’s contemporary masters, have played together over the years in contexts including work with Herbie Hancock and Joe Henderson and a spirited co-led band with Joe Lovano and Al Foster called ScoLoHoFo. Memories of Home is their first duo album.

John Scofield takes up the story: “I honestly don’t recall when or how we first discussed playing duo together. It was quite a while ago and we had an entire tour scheduled that was scrapped in 2020 due to the pandemic. We did it in late 2021 and it worked well. We did a second tour in 2024 and the idea of recording was a natural conclusion. The record, like our live shows, features tunes each of us composed, some new, some old. We share decades of common references musically. The similarities and differences in our approaches make for a more interesting collaboration, I think.”

Among those common musical references, Miles Davis looms large. Scofield’s tenure with Miles from 1982-1985 had been of decisive importance for the guitarist, much as Holland’s time with Davis had in the period 1968-70. Miles is one of the “icons” invoked in Scofield’s composition “Icons at the Fair”, which opens Memories of Home. The tune was inspired by Herbie Hancock’s arrangement of “Scarborough Fair” on The New Standard – an album on which both John and Dave played – Scofield taking its chords to construct something new, with a melody alluding to a Milesian trumpet phrase. It’s a piece John introduced with his Combo 66 quartet; the duo version has its own sense of dynamic drive.

Holland’s “Mr B” is a tribute to his first double bass hero, Ray Brown, which Dave previously recorded on Points of View in 1997. Its blues feel and lithe sense of swing are ideally suited to Scofield’s guitar artistry, and Holland’s bass solo conveys some of the sense of joy that informed the playing of the tune’s dedicatee. “Not for Nothin’” and “You I Love” also update pieces premiered on Holland’s early ECM recordings – the former the title track of Dave’s 2001 quintet album, the latter first heard on 1984’s Jumpin’ In, effectively the beginning of Holland’s life as a bandleader.

Title piece “Memories of Home” reintroduces a Holland tune originally documented on a 1980s collaboration with progressive bluegrass musicians Vassar Clements and John Hartford. The tune’s gentle contours encourage Scofield to give voice to the country side of his playing. Among the most immediately identifiable of jazz instrumentalists, Scofield and Holland have always been open to influences beyond the tradition.

“Meant to Be” is a Scofield classic, which the guitarist has played in line-ups from trio to the big band of Mike Gibbs. The poignant ballad “Easy for You”, another well-known piece, brings forth tender and subtle playing from both men, while the angular melody of “Mine Are Blues” is given momentum by Holland’s hard-driving bass.

John Scofield, guitar
Dave Holland, double bass

Recorded August 2024, NRS Recording Studio, Catskill, NY

John Scofield
John's guitar work has influenced jazz since the late 70’s and is going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R & B.

Born in Ohio and raised in suburban Connecticut, Scofield took up the guitar at age 11, inspired by both rock and blues players. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. After a debut recording with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, Scofield was a member of the Billy Cobham-George Duke band for two years. In 1977 he recorded with Charles Mingus, and joined the Gary Burton quartet. He began his international career as a bandleader and recording artist in 1978. From 1982–1985, Scofield toured and recorded with Miles Davis. His Davis stint placed him firmly in the foreground of jazz consciousness as a player and composer.

Since that time he has prominently led his own groups in the international Jazz scene, recorded over 30 albums as a leader (many already classics) including collaborations with contemporary favorites like Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Eddie Harris, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Bill Frisell, Brad Mehldau, Mavis Staples, Government Mule, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano and Phil Lesh. He’s played and recorded with Tony Williams, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Dave Holland, Terumasa Hino among many jazz legends. Throughout his career Scofield has punctuated his traditional jazz offerings with funk-oriented electric music. All along, the guitarist has kept an open musical mind.

Touring the world approximately 200 days per year with his own groups, he is an Adjunct Professor of Music at New York University, a husband, and father of two.

Dave Holland
is a renowned bassist, composer and bandleader whose passion for musical expression of all styles and dedication to creating innovative ensembles have propelled a career of more than 50 years. A guiding light on acoustic and electric bass, Holland has earned top honors including multiple Grammy Awards and Grammy Nominations and the title of NEA Jazz Master. Holland rose to prominence in groundbreaking groups led by such legends as Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Sam Rivers, Betty Carter and Anthony Braxton and Joe Henderson—as well as collaborations with Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie. Today he is equally celebrated for his own remarkable ensembles, ranging from duos and trios to big bands, featuring innovative collaborators like Steve Coleman, Robin and Kevin Eubanks, Jason Moran, Chris Potter and Eric Harland. Holland’s most recent release, Another Land is a trio featuring Kevin Eubanks and Obed Calvaire.

Booklet for Memories of Home