Nugene Records
2005
Siftin' Thru Ashes
About This Album
Blues-rock and blues-jazz are two different worlds. Blues-jazz tends to appeal to Jimmy Witherspoon fans who also appreciate Richard "Groove" Holmes and Jack McDuff; blues-rock tends to appeal to Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan fans who also know a great Jimmy Page or Eddie Van Halen solo when they hear one. But there are times when blues-rock and blues-jazz come together; they have often come together for Robben Ford, and they come together with memorable results on Matt Schofield's Siftin' Thru Ashes. This 2005 release finds Schofield leading an organ trio -- Schofield on vocals and guitar, Jonny Henderson on organ, and Evan Jenkins on drums -- and that format helps bring out the jazz element. Organ trios, of course, were a crucial part of soul-jazz in the '50s and '60s; the organ trio was a format that served Holmes, McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, and many others well. And it is a format that allows for a lot of improvisation on the instrumental "Djam." But instrumentals are the exception instead of the rule on Siftin' Thru Ashes; Schofield sings more often than not on this album, which offers a healthy balance of blues-rock muscle and blues-jazz sophistication.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,8 and 9)

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