Matt Schofield - Ear To The Ground

Matt Schofield is a comparatively young guitarist/vocalist whose star is most definitely on the ascendant. In recent years he has garnered some amazing press from all over the world, and has been hailed by fans and critics alike as British Blues' great new guitar hope.

Crucially, though, the word on the street is that Matt has a real chance of breaking through in the States as well as Europe. Musically, The Matt Schofield Trio are highly unusual in not having a bass player: instead, the bottom end is covered not only by Matt's sophisticated chordal approach, but Jonny Henderson's classic collection of Rhodes, Hammond and Clavinet keyboards. Whilst 'Ear To The Ground' is only Matt's second studio, such is his stellar reputation that expectation are indeed high: so has he delivered?

Overview!

'Pack It Up' opens the album with some funky clean guitar riffing, Hammond stabs, groovy clavinet and stinging lead. Right from the off Matt lays his cards on the table and we are you know we are in for a deeply groovy, funky journey through a jazz blues musical landscape. Matt's vocals are firmly rooted in the tradition of SRV and stateside blues vocalists and he has an authoritative voice that belies his comparatively tender years. Over some cool jazzy changes, Matt unleashes lashings of hot rodded strat tones, and his eloquent blues lead lines exhibit an uncommon harmonic sophistication: with his almost Robben Ford and Larry Carltonesque approach combined with a fiery SRV attack and singing vibrato Matt lays claim to a genuinely original guitar voice in a genre where much tends to be rehashings of players gone before. Great stuff!

'Troublemaker' is an up tempo almost big band shuffle with loads of Jonny Henderson's Hammond C3 organ trading with Matt's relaxed improvisations creating a track that will no doubt go down a storm live.

Title track 'Ear To The Ground' is another up tempo jazz-blues fest with some great syncro lines and a melodic chorus that moves through several different moods and grooves - and with a great, tight and economical solo the high standard continues.

Matt's definitely one of those players who doesn't indulge in mere show boating - rather he has a more considered approach that doesn't waste a single note and, with a 'very in the pocket' sense of timing and liquidy phrasing, throughout the album his playing is a veritable master class in modern blues guitar.

'Heart Don't Need A Compass' is a cleverly arranged mid tempo track with lots of emphasis on Evan Jenkins tight and airy drums, a great question and answer solo section, and more of those great changes - some very Robben Fordesque double stops in the solo here, and with a nice light feel rhythmically this is great example of band dynamics places.

'Once In A While' strats with a lazy back beat, nice mellow Hammond and some of those 'Need Your Love So Bad' almost Charlie Parker style chord changes (I am sure there are some diminished floating around in there): this is a text book example of using harmony and changes more commonly associated with trad jazz but applied in a wholly cohesive fashion to create a modern blues ballad.

'Room At The Back' is more up tempo, with lots of those synchronised guitar and keyboard lines, and Matt stretches out over this tight and effective instrumental weaving in and out of the changes like the seasoned pro he is.

Track number seven - 'Someone' has 'Big' Pete van der Pluym laying down loads of Blues Harp over a driving rhythm in a stomping straight ahead Texan blues style track that sees some aggressive soloing from Matt and a fine climax with trade offs galore.

'Searchin (Give Me A Sign)' takes us back into that late night in a bar ballady territory, and with a nice melodic chorus showcases some great tone filled guitar again. Special note must be made to Matt's tone throughout the album-a combination Fender and Two Rock amps that produce, in combination with his vintage Fender and Gibbos, a wonderfully woody tone that lives and breathes through a variety of moods and feels - from mellow to fiery - but all with a sheer authenticity that is a joy to hear. Have to check this out on his forthcoming tour, methinks...

'Move Along' is a more obviously jazzy instrumental with changes galore, brushes on them ol' drums, and lots of very clever guitar - a great study for anyone trying to get a handle on playing over changes - not for Matt being stuck in minor pentatonic land, here he weaves in and out utilising arpeggio and scale substitutions in a relaxed and authoritative manner.

Another vocal number with 'Cookie Jar' sees Matt and band following the template established earlier in the album, groove based verses, uplifting bridges and melodic choruses with plenty of band interplay to keep the muso's happy - and with a great climatic SRV style solo to boot.

Finally 'When It All Comes Down' rounds up proceedings with a traditional bluesy swing, a nice melodic reflective chorus, lots of sweet guitar fills, and a groovy melodic end of gig guitar wig out, before ending on a relaxed note.

Conclusion

I was speaking with Richard Pavitt (Matt's executive Producer and main man at Nugene Records) about how Matt and US star Joe Bonamassa are undeniably the new hot guitarists on the block. Richard pointed out a fact that had hitherto gone unnoticed by this scribe in that they've both traversed the Atlantic in terms of primary influences: Englishman Matt has a very Stateside take on this genre with Robben Ford and SRV being arguably his main terms of reference, whilst Joe has looked to Blighty and is very much taken with Eric Clapton and Robin Trower to name but two. Either way, they both represent the very best of the Blues genre in 2008, and every guitarist and blues fans should consider these as essential listening.

'Ear To The Ground' is an expertly crafted modern blues release that definitely delivers on his early promise - UK readers make sure you go and catch him on tour in this Spring; the rest of you seek out and buy this excellent album post haste!