John Scofield Talks about Playing with Miles Davis

In the September 2020 interview with Jazz Guitar Today, John Scofield talks about his time playing with Miles Davis. Full Video Interview.
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[@Vazmusic]

Sco is the nicest cat in the world! I've known him for along time and he is ALWYAS the most humble person. And I've heard him play live hundreds of times and never heard a bad note.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@358daver]

I've run into him 3 times around the Portland area whenever he was playing in town. He always recognized me and took a few minutes to chat each time. Super nice guy. It was fun to be able to spend a few short moments with him

[@renakmans3521]

Seriously, the Man!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@dwaneyocum1718]

I love hearing these great old stories about Miles Davis. Like the one about how he enjoyed speaking to fans after the shows and how he'd stay for hours signing autographs and telling dirty jokes. Miles was always willing to offer advice and compliments. There was that one time where he told a crowd of 50-thoudsand people to go shove it up their asses. That Miles, what a character.

[@peterivers2]

I saw this band at the Blossom Jazz Festival in Ohio around 83 or 84, both Scofield and Stern were in the band, it was fantastic, at one point I see a figure standing at the edge of the stage, in a suit, holding a trumpet, it turned out to be Winton Marsalis but Miles ignored him!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@jamesverrier3618]

He is easily one of my absolute favorite guitarists, but how refreshing of what a nice and humble guy he is. The man is a global treasure. I'd love to get more solo John!!

[@jazzguitartoday]

So say we all James! Thanks for watching and for your input! Please feel free to Like, Share and Subscribe to our channel.

[@markfretless]

Scofield is an excellent storyteller and is so down-to-earth...

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@thewoodys_surf_instrumental]

John's been in my top five for over 40 years. Absolutely love his solo on Miles "Decoy' .. nice interview.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@monsterjazzlicks]

Yes, JS is great on the slow blues track. I've actually transcribed the tune and arranged it for octet. 🤠

[@josephtravers777]

Had the good fortune of talking to John after a gig 20 years ago and was immensely impressed with his persona. Just a great guy to meet, not to mention blowing everyone away for the previous 2 hours. #1 on my list.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@bmuhamad]

Thank you very much for this interview. Just wish, Dominque Gaumont, Peter Cosey, and Reginald Lucas were here to interview. My favorite period, starting with McLaughlin. He may have started the '70' phase, Gaumont, Cosey, & Lucas finished this phase... Miles Morphs.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@bmuhamad]

Thank you so Kindly, Sir.

[@jazzguitartoday]

@@bmuhamad Welcome!

[@boblevey]

Great interview. Scofield is something else. My old man and Miles lived together a few times. Once when dad was the drummer with Bird and Diz and then later on he helped Miles get clean in the 50’s. Dad had some funny stories about Miles. John lived close to me in Missouri Heights Co but never got to meet him. Missed that 1!!!

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[@robjones2408]

I saw John play with Miles, at the Royal Festival Hall London 1985.
He was utterly fantastic. "Time On My Hands" remains a stone-cold classic.
Good luck to him.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@ajadrew]

I was there too, Mike Stern was also playing 👍

[@monsterjazzlicks]

Exceptionally interesting!!! 😁

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@jaaklucas1329]

Miles seemed to love the blues more and more as he got older, kinda his comfort food. Hard to imagine for someone who refused to sit still musically, always moving forward which was one of his great strong points. And he really brought the blues out of Scofield which John conveyed with his expanded harmonic sense. I love the album Decoy and the world of jazz guitar took a big leap then courtesy of John Scofield!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@zurab9]

Cool! Learned a lot about Miles!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@golds04]

His solo on “Line for Lyons w Mulligan and Baker. Live. CTI. One of the loveliest guitar soloes i ever heard by anyone. And in 45 years as a jazz guitarist- i have listened- to many. Memorized it immediately.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@golds04]

@@jazzguitartoday if you come across John- tell him I idolize Ed Bickert. His solo is there with Eds work. Tasteful thoughtful and concise! Will do.

[@jazzguitartoday]

@@golds04 Will Do!

[@charleswinokoor6023]

My two favorite albums are still “Who’s Who” and “Rough House.”

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@ajadrew]

Great chat! I saw him on the Blue Matter tour with Gary Grainger & Dennis Chambers, simply brilliant as well as with Miles along with Mike Stern 👍😊

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[@purleybaker]

I got into Sco and so many other musicians through Miles and now listen to Sco more.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@musamusashi]

My favorite Miles' guitar player and one of my favourite guitar players ever.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@SarekGMusic]

Thank you for the mature and well-researched approach. It bums me out when I hear the same basic questions, over and over.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@flame-sky7148]

Thanks, this is incredible. I always wondered what he thought about the 83 band with two guitarist.

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[@rp6762]

You ARE my no.1, John.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@LeoAmuedo]

He is a top 5 all times for sure!! Great interview!!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@armthealiens]

He’s my no. 1.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@shangeetibodo2496]

Saw Miles with Mike and John ..when he started ...he would just come on ,play , then disappear , then mike would do his thing ... Etc it was awesome!! Definetly Sco’s best soloing was with Miles...

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@Auricfield]

A couple of years ago Miles came to me at night. It was in another dimension - where he is now - and I peaked in. He was playing a synthesiser, but he was standing behind it and reaching over and playing the notes one by one... very slowly. More like making sounds than playing music as we know it. Then he reached over to some of the buttons on the synth and started pulling them back - like he was peeling a banana and pulling the keyboard apart. It was a surreal experience. A privilege.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@monsterjazzlicks]

How ridiculous!!!

[@rillloudmother]

when it gets dark out and you close your eyes, a lot of times you end up going to sleep. when you sleep there are these things called dreams that happen inside your head. when you tell other folks about them, they don't make no sense.

[@monsterjazzlicks]

@@rillloudmother - This is a joke, right???!!!

[@rillloudmother]

@@monsterjazzlicks not sure, but judging from your nick I need to see your channel.

[@plasticweapon]

just discovered john through "you're under arrest".

[@jazzguitartoday]

Nice... It is never too late! Thanks for watching and for your input! Please feel free to Like, Share and Subscribe to our channel.

[@TheRealG2024]

in my top five players for sure on guitar without question. totally original voice

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@MasterStratocaster9]

John is in my top 5.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@-dash]

So cool hearing these stories

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@maravermusic165]

great player and fun guy

[@sunchow100]

Sometimes it sounds like the John Scofield band when he solos & Miles is tinkering on the synth keyboard

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@MichaelBucherMusic]

I wish Sco was my neighbour, such a great guy! Thanks for the insights!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@Targuer]

John has delighted us for several years, accompanying Miles Davis. A great guitarist.

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[@jimdixon3470]

For the curious, Peter Losin's Miles website shows that the Sco/Stern edition of the Miles band last from mid-November, 1982 to the end of May, 1983, with some final gigs in Japan. Marcus Miller disappears from the live set lists after December, 1982, replaced by Tom Barney. One audience recording of the Sco/Stern/Marcus band (at the Felt Forum, in Dec. '82) made it onto a bootleg in Germany, but I can't find any other live documentation of this band. If Miles had been touring in Europe or Japan with this lineup, there would probably be professionally recorded gigs, but alas... :(

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@davidbaise5137]

Great show the Felt Forum. That particular band with Miller. Roberta Flack opened.

[@marcelosilveira.guitar]

John is the best!! ❤️

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@TheOpinionatedGuitarist]

Sco is my #1!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@Boggleforever]

Greaaaaat interview, thanks so much.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@tranka6112]

He is such fun! Seeing him live with his überjam project was just like heaven - except that he pulled these devilish faces... This, and his funny and honest comments in between the songs just put a grin on my face for days :D Listening to decoy right now ;) God bless you, John!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@davejackson88]

Schofield is a Great brand

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@owenchapman971]

What an awesome interview. Nothing like listening to a couple of good ol boys :)

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@jadiellima8922]

So awesome! thank you for that interview!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@monsterjazzlicks]

Great interview, thanks!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@ZRJZZZZZ]

I would love to hear him just record his guitar single track and hear what he comes up with. He is so capable that there really isn’t a requirement of anyone else, unless of course, he wants something else to be there.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@alternativetelling5913]

Great interview, thanks.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@friendofbeaver6636]

Enjoyed the interview. Thanks!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@bristleconepinus2378]

tutu is a good album.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@caveman726]

Superb💪

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@scurvybro8850]

I found out about Scofield from his inclusion on Davis' "Star People" album. I've since seen Scofield in concert about a half-dozen times.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@mindjob]

Great stuff

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@tomg5680]

Sco's great drummer Dennis Chambers turned Miles down around 1987 or so.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@sclogse1]

The tune, It Gets Better, sounds like it always was.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@PatriotSteve]

He played with Jaco so he’s good enough for me!

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@glennmcmillan6590]

Hey Steve, what did he play with Jaco? I have always wondered whether they played together...two of my favourite musical pioneers!

[@PatriotSteve]

@@glennmcmillan6590 Jaco has a video called Modern Electric Bass and at the end he jams with Sco. Jaco was going thru troubles at this time but he made it to the taping - thank god.

[@glennmcmillan6590]

Oh, sorry - I meant Miles. Do you (or anyone here) know if Miles and Jaco ever played together?

[@PatriotSteve]

@@glennmcmillan6590 They never did as far as I know. But Miles Davis recorded a song called Mr. Pastorius written by Marcus Miller. He respected Jaco.

[@markusbuergin6934]

Top 3 for me: Santana, Scofield, DiMeola, no particular order

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@PatriotSteve]

Jeff Beck #4?

[@chapter2unit4]

I’ve read a Barry Finnerty interview where Barry claimed that Bill Evans kept him out of the band, Scofield seems to corroborate that in this interview.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@KhalDrogo76]

SCO!

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[@peopleschum]

Did he say Bill Evans on saxophone? twice? *(oh my bad, I just checked there really was a Bill Evans on Saxophone.. I live in the wrong decade)

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@davebartholome2924]

Don’t worry, you’re probably the 100,000th person to be confused by that. Yeah, he played with John McLaughlin and with Miles in the 80s. Don’t know what he’s up to now.

[@peopleschum]

@@davebartholome2924 Odd that he didnt think to change his name before launching his career in modern jazz. My real name is Samuel Beckett but I wouldn't dream of using it for my CZcams comments :)

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@johnmcminn9455]

Evans played for Mike and was also with the Allman Brothers he is like the Mike Stern of Sax ...lol

[@davidvernon3119]

For the record, Bill Evans played piano.

[@nonmember8725]

Different Bill Evans!

[@rdpatterson2682]

The OTHER Bill Evans.

[@sclogse1]

Come on, Dave.

[@davidvernon3119]

Never heard of him. Will have to give him a listen.

[@tomg5680]

Jack Nicholas ? LOL

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@BassMusicianMagazine]

@Stacey Michaels No... an actual person. Perhaps you're the Bot. :)

[@BassMusicianMagazine]

@Stacey Michaels says the person with no posts...

[@jevonj77]

Cool but he doesn't really give any Miles stories...it's what everybody really wants to hear. :(

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@sclogse1]

I agree.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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[@jazzguitartoday]

@Stacey Michaels Here it is... We ask that you Like, Share and Subscribe.. very much what we need to keep growing.

[@denisbaker9090]

Bill evans on sax.!? Piano surely.

[@jazzguitartoday]

Yes there was a Bill Evans on sax. Thanks for watching and for your input! Please feel free to Like, Share and Subscribe to our channel.

[@TheRealG2024]

there are two bill evans actually who played sax. the white bill evans who played with miles and the black bill evans who later changed his name to yusef lateef who played with the adderley brothers in the 60s in addition to joe zawinul who was also in that particular group. the third AND OTHER bill evans (ALSO white) played piano on kind of blue in 59 in miles then game changing sextet.

[@denisbaker9090]

@@TheRealG2024 thank you for that reply Geoff, very educational. D

[@JRM---516]

I wish the interviewer was better...

[@JRM---516]

For example, letting John expand on the Miles' Tutu period, and why he left the band during that time! That's a huge dynamic that should have been examined.

[@jazzguitartoday]

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