January 2026
ECM Records ECM 2860 7849960
Format: CD
Musical Performance
Sound Quality
Overall Enjoyment
By my count, jazz guitarist John Scofield is closing in on 50 albums as a leader or co-leader. Bassist Dave Holland has a similarly large discography as leader, co-leader, and group member on jazz recordings. The two have played together on albums by Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, and others, and toured as a duo in 2021 and again in 2024. Those shows led to the decision to record an album together.
Scofield and Holland share the billing for Memories of Home, their first album of duets. Both musicians contributed songs to the album. Scofield’s “Icons at the Fair” is based on a chord progression Herbie Hancock used for a version of “Scarborough Fair” that Scofield and Holland played on in 1996. Scofield recorded a quartet performance of the tune on his album Combo 66 (2018).
The earlier arrangement moves at a fast clip, but Scofield and Holland ease into the song on the new album. Scofield begins with chord washes and calmly unfolding melodies, while Holland provides countermelodies. When Scofield introduces the main chord progression and theme, things move into a medium tempo and begin to bounce along.
The earlier recording of “Icons at the Fair” generates a lot of heat, but on the new rendition it’s easier to appreciate the ease with which Scofield’s ideas unfold. Holland weaves around him, providing a solid foundation while helping draw the guitarist out. Holland’s solo is as exciting as Scofield’s, and the guitarist’s comping behind him gives him support and the freedom to take off.
Scofield first recorded “Meant to Be” in a quartet setting for a 1991 album of the same name. Holland’s flowing intro sets the tone for Scofield’s statement of the main theme. Holland uses the harmonic structure of the tune to keep it grounded as Scofield improvises, but the bassist adds some interesting flourishes along the way. He frees Scofield to go off on inspired flights, and in his own solo Holland plays melodic variations that expand on the main theme.
Holland recorded “Mr. B” in 1998 for his album Points of View. He and Scofield take the song at the same tempo as the original, and Scofield brings out a slightly more pronounced blues strain in the song. Holland maintains that feel in his solo, and both players keep Holland’s likable melody close at hand. The song is upbeat and joyful, but both musicians reach deep into the heartfelt core of Holland’s tribute to Ray Brown, one of jazz’s great musicians.
Scofield’s grounding in the blues is especially apparent in “Mine Are Blues,” which carries an echo of some of Wes Montgomery’s best tunes. Scofield’s attack on octave runs is different from Montgomery’s, but just as effective. He plays a solo that takes a series of chords to change up the harmonies of the tune, a clear nod to Montgomery, who influenced nearly every jazz guitarist that came after him.
The title track is a Holland composition—a beautiful ballad that begins in a relaxed mood, with Scofield stating the melody in a series of single notes and passing chords as Holland provides a fluid but rhythmically solid backdrop. Scofield expands on the tune with note bends, chord variations, and cascading single-note runs. Holland’s solo is a model of beauty and pacing. He first recorded “Memories of Home” in 1985 with Vassar Clements and John Hartford, and this interpretation retains some of the bluegrass and country-music roots of the original.
Scofield and Holland recorded Memories of Home at NRS Recording Studio in Catskill, New York. Recording engineer Scott Petito has captured the intimacy of the performance, but I wish he had conveyed a better sense of the recording space. Not surprisingly, the bass is full and somewhat forward. During solos, Holland’s double bass sounds so close I could sometimes hear strings vibrating on the neck, and I thought it could have been pulled back on a few occasions. Nevertheless, this didn’t ruin the album for me.
Memories of Home is an impressive recording of Scofield and Holland in intelligent, spirited conversation, and it reaffirms their skills as composers. The tunes provide plenty of opportunity for improvisation but also stand on their own. These two players have each been making music for more than 50 years and continue to find new, fresh things to say, even in tunes they’ve recorded before.
. . . Joseph Taylor
josepht@soundstagenetwork.com
