John Scofield Joe Lovano Quartet

They first met half a century ago at Berklee College of Music when the school positively bristled with standout students (their classmates includes Bill Frisell, Joey Baron, Kenny Werner, and Billy Pierce). But their collaboration took root in 1990 on Scofield’s Blue Note debut Time On My Hands with Charlie Haden and Jack DeJohnette. Sco followed up with 1991’s Meant To Be, the Blue Note album that introduced his quartet with Lovano, drummer Bill Stewart and bassist Marc Johnson. A few months before, Lovano had recorded his 1990 Blue Note debut, Landmarks, which also deployed Stewart and Johnson.

Sco’s quartet played a key role in elevating Lovano’s visibility and reputation, and they’ve been collaborating intermittently ever since, like in the collective supergroup ScoLoHoFo with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Al Foster. Brothers in groove, they’re improvisers who dwell in the realm of beauteous possibility.