JAZZ REVIEWS : JOHN SCOFIELD AND WISHFUL THINKING

A study in contrasts was offered Sunday night at the Palace where the quartet led by guitarist John Scofield headlined and Wishful Thinking, a quintet of local musicians, opened. While both groups utilized the current electronic technology and relied heavily on the trendy fusion of musical styles, only one succeeded in creating music with charms to soothe the savage breast.

Scofield, whose accomplishments with jazz artists Charles Mingus, Jay McShann and others have all but been eclipsed by his efforts with Miles Davis, showed the good sense to remain faithful to an art form capable of communicating emotion while aspiring to uplift the soul. Acknowledging the obvious rock influences of his 36 years, the guitarist nonetheless managed to use only the best of those elements in creating a music that represented notions more worthy than mere chart placement.

Working with an energetic trio of keyboardist Robert Aries, bassist Gary Granger and drummer Dennis Chambers, Scofield lent his incomparable talents to a wide-ranging series of tunes that had him heavy rocking in “Protocol,” gently bluesy in “Heaven Hill” and hypnotically stirring in “Still Warm.” His single-note lines were inspired throughout, including an impressive solo reading of “The Tennessee Waltz.”

Though bassist Granger relied too much on a staccato delivery that greatly obscured any sense of tonality, pianist Aries offered Scofield solid support and contributed interesting solos. Chambers showed himself to be one of the most powerful and authoritative drummers on the current jazz scene.

Wishful Thinking, a group that overplayed its welcome during an overly long opening set, was void of the melodic sensibility displayed when first noticed two years ago. The group has exchanged an attractive sense of melodic improvisation for a series of formulaic tunes that did little more than bore.

The group’s nine-tune set was more processed than created as arranged precision counted for more than spontaneity. Sadly, the considerable talents of guitarist Tim Weston, keyboardist Chris Boardman and percussionist Dave Shank were severely limited in the group’s quest for mass acceptance.