Sungwon Kim

JOHN SCOFIELD's 'A GO GO' Jazz-Funk Phrasing for Guitar Sungwon Kim

This book examines various ways in which the guitarist John Scofield shapes his jazz- funk phrases. It is written in the style of a pedagogic instruction book. And demonstrates how to effectively study transcription to incorporate aspects of the solo into the improviser's vocabulary. While John Scofield's phrasing may often sound dissonant or complicated to the listener, I contend that they are, in fact, simple and deeply personal expansions of basic blues and rock vocabulary. Various jazz-funk phrases, systems, and theoretical ideas are analyzed in this study dissecting several excerpts transcribed from Scofield's solo work on his 'A Go Go' album [1998]. I will discuss how one of the leading jazz guitarists of our generation approaches jazz-funk music. In so doing, I will argue, Scofield lifts groove-oriented music to a higher level.