John Scofield Dave Holland : Memories of Home Review

by Steven Miller

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Memories of Home is a duet record that arrives with assertion and the shared recognition of two iconic jazz legends. From the first notes, John Scofield and Dave Holland are presenting ideas from a space they have created over years of performing together and in ensembles, exploring a common jazz language. The duo format allows the architecture of each player to shine. What results is a recording that reflects their collective time, sound, and shared understanding.

Scofield’s guitar voice is conversational, subtly bent at the edges, and seeks a fluid rhythmic language distributed in layers. His style listens outward, shaping melody through motifs and chordal support. His lines feel natural and are colored by various left-hand and right-hand touches. Holland’s bass provides a robust presence. His sound is centered and full, and his solos have a tonal gravity that is agile and lyrical. Together, they allow communication to function as an active participant.

What distinguishes this recording is not virtuosity, though both musicians possess it in abundance, but the natural manner in which the music develops and progresses. This is jazz as conversation; as mutual orientation and declaration of the chemistry between the two players.

Across the album, compositions drawn from each artist’s history are re-examined in the duet setting. Familiar material reveals new contours in this exposed setting. Swing is present, funk-jazz, folk-jazz, and modern jazz resonances appear throughout the project. Blues emerges as a unifying language, and each piece feels like a complete statement.

Memories of Home offers another perspective of coherence born of a long partnership. Scofield and Holland have spent decades learning how to hear themselves and others. This record is the sound of that learning made audible. The duo setting reveals what these musicians can do, continuously rediscovering in sound.