John Scofield, Oteil Burbridge, Adam Deitch & Larry Goldings Kick Off Electrospective Tour

John Scofield revisited four decades of his electric catalog on Wednesday at Cincinnati’s Ludlow Garage, where he launched his Electrospective Tour. The guitarist’s new quartet featuring bassist Oteil Burbridge, drummer Adam Deitch and keyboardist Larry Goldings drew from his 1980s fusion recordings, collaborations with Medeski Martin & Wood and Überjam projects during their first concert together.

Scofield put together Electrospective to revisit the groove-oriented side of his repertoire with fresh arrangements. The lineup reconnects the guitarist with Deitch, who played in his Überjam band, and Goldings, whose collaborations with Scofield stretch back to the 1990s.

The quartet opened with “Pick Hits,” originally released on Scofield’s 1984 album Electric Outlet. Next came the title track from A Go Go, his 1998 recording with Medeski Martin & Wood. That album supplied three of the evening’s 12 selections, with “Chank” appearing later in the set and “Jeep On 35” reserved for the encore.

“Thikhathali,” from the John Scofield Band’s 2003 album Up All Night, followed “A Go Go.” Deitch played on the original recording and shares a writing credit on the composition. The group then returned to Scofield’s 1980s catalog for the title track from Blue Matter before revisiting “Jungle Fiction” from 2002’s Überjam, another album featuring Deitch.

The title track from Still Warm preceded “Chank.” Scofield and his bandmates next reached for “Boogie Stupid” from 2013’s Überjam Deux before exploring another shared chapter in the guitarist and keyboardist’s history with “Bruise Cruise.” The tune appears on Scary Goldings’ 2021 album Scary Goldings IV, with Scofield joining Goldings on the original recording.

“Tell You What,” the opening track on Scofield’s 1988 album Loud Jazz, brought the quartet back to his fusion years. “Trim,” another selection from 1986’s Blue Matter, finished the main set before the musicians returned for the “Jeep On 35” encore.

The Electrospective Tour continues tonight with a second show at Ludlow Garage. Stops in Kent, Ohio on Friday; Brookfield, Wisconsin on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday follow. The run extends through November 21 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Check out photos and video from opening night below: