Watch John Scofield Make Only Allman Brothers Band Guest Spot Count In 2011

The Allman Brothers Band kicked off their 2011 itinerary with their traditional March Madness residency at The Beacon Theatre in New York City. About halfway through the 13-show stint, legendary jazz guitarist John Scofield made his one and only appearance with ABB on March 18, 2011.

The fist set — which also saw Susan Tedeschi guesting on a pair of tunes — concluded with the Scofield sit-in beginning on Bob Dylan’s “It Takes A Lot To Laugh It Takes A Train To Cry” and the ABB instrumental epic “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed.” While the spot marked Scofield’s first ABB appearance, the guitarist was no stranger in collaborating with the band’s various members including a live album captured in 1999, Sco-Mule, with Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes’ Gov’t Mule outfit, as well as team ups with ABB guitarist Derek Trucks and bassist Oteil Burbridge.

Scofield spoke about his sole Allman Brothers sit-in experience in a 2011 interview with All About Jazz conducted just days after the March 18 collab. Read an excerpt from the interview below:

AAJ: Watching you with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon made me think about the similarity between comedy and music—and I mean this is a good way. Both involve improvising and rely on things like timing, rhythm, dramatic pauses, changes in volume,—and of course the most important aspect of comedy, the power of the unexpected.

As you were soloing, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, and Oteil Burbridge were frequently breaking out in smiles because you were surprising them with how you approached something that’s routine to them. A unique way of approaching something is the hallmark of a great comedian, do you see that as one of your strengths as a musician that you come at things from a different angle?

JS: You know I do think I come at things from a different angle, especially from guys who set out to play Southern blues rock. I never did that, it just so happens that the little blues shit that I learned as a kid, I’ve kept with me.

They’re such nice guys, and Oteil, Warren and Derek have been supportive of me for years. I think what you said is probably true, you know those guys are playing night after night with the Allman Brothers Band, which, by the way, is a very good band. And the way they work together is really musical, and all of those guys are so good. But they play the same stuff, so throwing me in there mixes things up a bit.

But I think what you said about the surprise element in the music is really profound, it’s those little surprises that keeps it fresh.

Watch the explosive performance of “Liz Reed” below which sees some stellar back and forth from Scofield, Haynes, Trucks and Burbridge following an organ solo from Gregg Allman:

Scofield would return in the second set to add to another classic ABB exploration, the band’s “Mountain Jam,” which instrumentally interprets and extrapolates on Donovan’s 1967 hit, “There Is a Mountain,” a perfect setting for Scofield’s copious chops. Watch “Mountain Jam” with John Scofield below:

Setlist (via Hidden Track)

Set One: Don’t Want You No More, It’s Not My Cross To Bear, Done Somebody Wrong, Blind Willie McTell, Walk On Gilded Splinters, Coming Home*, That Did It*, It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry**, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed**

Set Two: Dreams, Come And Go Blues, Soulshine, Come On In My Kitchen. .44 Blues^, Mountain Jam** > Oteil’s Blues > Drums > Mountain Jam**

Encore: One Way Out^^

Notes:

• * – w/ Susan Tedeschi
• ** – w/ John Scofield
• ^ – w/ James van de Bogert, no Jaimoe
• ^^ – w/ Junior Mack and Susan Tedeschi, no Derek