Matt Schofield - Heads, Tails & Aces (2009)

×

Matt Schofield - Heads, Tails & Aces (2009)

Close

It won't take long for even a fan of U.K. blues-jazz guitarist Matt Schofield to realize that this is his most focused, blues-oriented album to date. The opening track, "What I Wanna Hear," sets up an easygoing shuffle landing somewhere between Texas and Chicago as Schofield's laid-back yet emotional voice digs into the sparse, insistent groove, propelled by Jonny Henderson's organ. When the guitarist lets loose, it's a solo that's wired from the heart, plowing into the arrangement with a lean, mean tone that slithers and glides above the walking bass beat. It's a six-minute tour de force that fades out, leaving the listener wanting more. Fortunately there's plenty where that came from on the ten additional songs from Schofield's fourth release. His plaintive vocals and sizzling guitar have often, and correctly, been compared to Robben Ford, but on Heads, Tails & Aces, Schofield's terrific songs give him a slight edge over Ford due to the latter's often inconsistent material. The U.K. talent has been honing his recordings since his 2004, debut but tunes such as the soulful ballad "War We Wage" show that he's now an accomplished songwriter whose music, while blues-based, can easily cross over to a larger audience. He wrote or co-composed all but two tracks, as well as producing the disc. Schofield's songs effectively avoid the dreaded blues clichés so common to the genre with sharp, well-conceived lyrics, and unexpectedly skillful melodies that borrow just enough from pop to make them memorable. His jazzier chops shine on the Steely Dan-styled "Nothing Left," letting scatting guitar lines float above the verses, then taking flight on the song's solo section. A few covers round out the album with Schofield digging into "Woman Across the River" (performed by Freddie King) and Elmore James' "Stranger Blues" with class, verve, and intensity. The closing ballad "Not Raining Now" is yet another gem, an Eric Clapton-influenced tune that lets Schofield's guitar lines drizzle through this R&B-influenced romp. It concludes a superb set that proves the U.K. blues roots artist might just be getting warmed up to become one of the major contemporary stars in his overcrowded field.–by Hal Horowitz

1. What I Wanna Hear 6:02
2. Live Wire 4:45
3. War We Wage 4:32
4. Betting Man 5:41
5. Lay it Down 8:45
6. Can't Put You Down 3:16
7. Woman Across the River 3:47
8. Nothing Left 6:25
9. I Told Ya 5:35
10. Stranger Blues 5:48
11. Not Raining Now 5:13

×

Matt Schofield - Heads, Tails & Aces (2009)

Close

BIO: The leader of the Matt Schofield trio (obviously) and a well traveled and talented blues guitarist, Matt Schofield was born in Manchester, England on August 21, 1977. Spurred into the world of the blues guitar by legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, and Albert Collins, Schofield took his curiosity to London after graduating college, and started to jam with various musicians in the scene. Catching the ear of one Dana Gillespie – after a successful stint as part of the Lee Sankey Group – Schofield won a spot in that blues diva's London based band. From there, Schofield eschewed the quick road to fame, instead choosing to work as part of the house band at festivals all over Europe. Eventually, through this rather unglamorous gig, the trio that would bear his name eventually came together, and Schofield became a bona fide solo presence. His first album, a live affair entitled The Trio, Live, was released in 2004, and was a critical success. The unique vibe that Matt and his trio captured was due in part of their use of organ for bass lines rather than a bass guitar – somewhat of a rarity in the more traditional electric blues rulebook. Comprised of Schofield, keyboardist Jonny Henderson and drummer Evan Jenkins, the trio went on to record a studio record, Siftin' Thru' the Ashes after releasing the second live collection Live At the Jazz Cafe – both in 2005. In 2007, Schofield returned to the shelves with studio album number two, Ear To the Ground.–by Chris True