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The long-running relationship between guitar icon John Scofield and the all-star band Lettuce is built on a deep and abiding love of funk, and their chemistry gives the pairing an undeniable magic based in deep grooves and incendiary improvisation. This performance, filmed in March 2019 during the 2018-19 Season, originally premiered in July of 2020 on SFJAZZ’s Fridays at Five series, now known as SFJAZZ At Home’s weekly series Fridays Live.

Personnel:
John Scofield: guitar
Eric Bloom: trumpet
Ryan Zoidis: saxophone
Adam Smirnoff: guitar
Nigel Hall: keyboards, vocals
Erick Coomes: bass
Adam Deitch: drums

Setlist:
“Pick Hits” by John Scofield
“Jungle Fiction” by John Scofield and Adam Deitch
“4th Dimension” by Lettuce
“Kron Dutch” by Adam Deitch and Eric Krasno
“Lettsanity” by Lettuce
“Every Night Is Ladies Night” by John Scofield and Adam Deitch

ABOUT LETTUCE AND JOHN SCOFIELD

“Stuttering bass-and-drum interplay, furious guitars and organs — and nary a note to be found outside the pocket.” — The New York Times on Lettuce

“A modern-jazz avatar of the electric guitar” — The New Yorker on John Scofield

One of the post-fusion era’s definitive guitarists, John Scofield went from recording with jazz giants such as Miles, Mingus and Chet Baker to joining the pantheon himself, winning multiple Best Jazz Album GRAMMY Awards and consistently finding new avenues of collaboration and creativity. Scofield appeared as a special guest on the band’s 2002 debut album Outta Here, and their connection has matured as the band evolved from enthusiastic teens at a Berklee summer program known for hitting up Boston venues for gigs with the insistent refrain “Let us play!” (hence the name Lettuce) to a jam band supergroup. 

Drummer Adam Deitch spent several years working with Scofield, providing potent grooves on his Verve albums Überjam and Up All Night. Saxophonist Ryan Zoidis long divided his time between Soulive and Maine’s popular jazz/funk band Rustic Overtones, and bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes has toured internationally with Britney Spears and The Game. Guitarist Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff has also worked widely as a first-call sideman with an array of artists, including Lady Gaga and Robert Randolph, while trumpeter Eric Bloom has become a New Orleans stalwart, recording with Jon Cleary and Aaron Neville.