John Scofield Performs "I'll Fly Away"

  

In the early aughts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival became a must-do for a certain kind of musically-discerning, moneyed hipster. By this time it had become something quite removed, ironically, from its roots, featuring big name rock stars as headliners. These were quality rock stars, yes, of the Robert Plant and Elvis Costello kind. But one doesn't have to be a purist to raise an eyebrow just a bit at the revenue-raising chutzpah of it. Anyway, I made my own pilgrimage there in '80 or '81, a fact that at once establishes my bohemian bona fides and gives away my advanced age. Suffice it to say it was a humbler affair back then.

Of the things that stuck with me, one has always stood out the most. In addition to a couple main stages and evening river boat concerts (where we saw a double bill with Freddie Hubbard and Stanley Turrentine), the fest featured many tents where most of the "heritage" performances happened. Walking around one day some sounds from a nearby tent caught my ear. I thought, man that place is rocking. I went in to discover that it was the gospel tent. You really don't have to be a believer to feel it, though the Jesus element adds something the nonbeliever is missing. On the other hand, the music itself is imparting something into Jesus, something that might not otherwise be there. Which is a big part of the reason gospel has so strikingly informed all modern pop music. When we get that ritualistic uplift from the music, it's often the gospel feeling echoing in our secular age.

 

When the jazz guitar master John Scofield decided to record his gospel-derived album, Piety Street, a few years ago, he went to New Orleans to do it. Interestingly, he didn't just do it as pure instrumentals, which might have made sense for his likely audience of assorted non-Christian music heads. But I think it's better that he included the vocals. It gives us a sense for the original spirit of the music, and adds to the overall sense of joy and human feeling. Who doesn't long for the release of "I'll Fly Away" on occasion? We can feel this, yes, and also understand on a deeper level how glorious it was that the subjugated Negroes of the America South who first sang this were able to take solace in the hope, even assurance, of someday getting some well-deserved peace of mind, body, and soul.

Scofield's approach to the song is fresh and invigorating. This is because he often shapes his phrases with notes that are harmonic extensions on the main chords. And he leaves a lot of space. On a basic musical level, this helps us avoid cliche; on an emotional level we experience a floating feeling of grace. My favorite instance begins at 0:56 where he plays a gorgeous, soaring single note pattern followed by chords that resolve back into the root of the changes. Among the musicians featured on the recording is the legendary New Orleans bassist George Porter, known for his work with the seminal instrumental funk band, the Meters. His playing is especially tasty and buoyant on this track. The vocals are by the British born pianist John Cleary, who moved to New Orleans decades ago and then made himself a stalwart of the scene through what I would guess must have been a combination of desire, talent, and, most of all, a whole lot of love for the glorious musical traditions that were born and live on there.