Govt Mule and John Scofield perform Billy Cobham's "Stratus" on 3-12-15 at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA. Brought to you by Less Than Face Productions.
Recently saw a video of Leland Sklar talking about the initial recording of this piece and how the most difficult part is just sticking to the basic groove throughout the entire piece! He mentioned that it's (relatively) easy to toss in frills on the bass line, but to keep that solid groove the whole time without break is tough as hell!
I just learned this today, partly from Leland Sklar’s video about it. Keeping the groove for a long time, yet remain8ng aware to the changes, is tricky. There’s another song, only four notes, that’s tough for the same reason. Not anything close to this but, nonetheless, Engel by Rammstein, live at Lizhinsky Stadium. By the way, is the bass player here playing the groove right?
@@rexwave4624 No, he's not. It differs on at least one note I think. Perhaps he likes it better that way and no one else cared? Or the band did not rehearse this classic, and he just tried his best out of the blue.
Yeah, it's got that trick of all sixteenth notes with the last two being the same as the first, so the actual note changes don't happen on the down beat of one. Which can be incredibly disorienting after a few minutes.
Scofield is some kind of otherworldly entity. He needs no words, he speaks fluent guitarineze, conveying heaping helpings of unspoken musical truths in a mosaic of rock blues and jazz. Waren comes in perfectly like usual slowly tugging us back to earth with his exquisitely timed soulful riffing. This is a master work, bridging a multitude of styles and techniques by two of my favorite guitarists. Thanks LTFP for posting and thanks to Scofield and the Mule.
Travis Bessonette I just sew them in Espoo Finland ( Finnish LA) a month ago. I mean Scofield jazz band. My guitarist son, who just returned fron Atlanta was not happy. I’ve been introduced with Scofield since 70’s. Cobham was here also. I got tickets. My leg broke with a 90 mph snowmobile. My son went. A total mishap.
Imagine being able to play anything you want, in any setting, on the guitar. That's John Scofield. There just are no more words for the guy. And he's been doing it for 50 years now. Mind-boggling...
Dude if you ve never heard the original or aren't familiar with Billy cobham or the mahivishnu orchestra, it makes this sound like trash and I love this video. But this version is a weak cover imo, instead of exploring stratus into a new musical atmosphere it feels more like a jam funk fusion groove but soulless. It's clear there jamming on a groove that doesn't really even care about the essence of stratus. Sometimes the less space in music the better , the wonderful thing about cobham and his drumming is he didnt waste a note even though he played so many.
The best arrangement of this song I've heard. Tommy Bolin (rest in peace) would absolutely love this. Scofield's sound reminds me a lot of Roy Buchanan.
Umm.. you need to hear the Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's performance of this song. MIndblowing. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VK14So3O5_k.html
Warren has to be really brave to share the stage with an absolute giant like Scofield. I can't imagine too many rock-blues guitarists doing the same and be able to survive like he did.
These Musicians are all brilliant, no question. But John Scofield's solo is so outstanding. One of the best solos I ever experienced. And to perform this live, just improvising ...oh man. I play the guitar, too, and could live a thousand years practicing and learning and never could come even close. His infinite vocabular of scales and tones, fluently performed out of nowhere with bunches of world class tone, topping one another. And always recognizable Scofield style. He ist one of the Greats at his best. Could watch this forever.
Great upload saw John Scofield play with Billy Cobham Late Great George Duke and Alphonso Johnson in 76 Super show Great Guitarist year later saw another Super Guitarist late Great Jeff Beck with Billy Cobham Jan Hammer and Alphonso Johnson i love Jazz Fusion Prog Rock
Are you NUTS ????? When a drummer allows/makes the tempo go from 85 BPM to 103 BPM, that's downright embarrassing !!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can any producer allow that to get posted on YT ?? Good drummers will deviate by 2 BPB, but 18 ????????????????????
Scofield although probably unknown to many that follow the mainstream has always been bad ass. I’ve got an amazing album of his from the mid 70s. So versatile.
Nice cover of this Billy Cobham classic. Tommy Bolin would approve. Of course John played this tune a few times with Billy back in the 70s. Bean town got to listen to a great night of music.
Just amazing, just a great band that can do anything, Matt Abts is one of the most amazing drummers, anything they throw at him he kills it, wish they bottled that.
This is so inspiring, thank you for posting! Great collaboration, pleasant surprise. Not surprised to see John Scofield crushing it! Man, studying his 2 VHS tape set on quartal harmony, this was a really cool bluesier harmonic side, and the Carltonesque hammer on alone was worth the price of admission! WH, so soulful, and carried the ABB during changing times. 😊
I actually have to shed this tune for an upcoming gig, and this was a real eye opener compared to some of the other live versions I've heard. It's direct and less cluttered somehow. Thanks, this was a big help.
Watch out for a version with Billy Cobham, George Duke and Stefan Rademacher on Bass. Unfortuneately i miss out on the name of the also outstanding guitarist of the aforementioned version. I think he was australian or from new zealand. This Version is so spot on you wont believe it. I like the version here with sco and warren also a lot. I love the keyboardists/organpayers work and feel. He has got "it"... Heres the link brother: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-v13P7e2EsRQ.html
Always great to see an Epiphone Jack Casady bass in action. It mustn't be easy to maintain that riff for such a long jam. I'm not even gonna touch on the solos, as they speak for themselves
@@PatriotSteve even Metheny is more predicable than Sco. The only other guys who improvise so fluent and varying are Gambale and Rosenwinkel. I'm sure there are others, but wow, I dare anyone to find better than those three still living. Maybe Scott Henderson?
Opening sounds a lot like "Birds of Fire" by the MVO. If you were there you're a precious goddess, a lucky bastard, a legend. A moment of space-time sanctified by your divine presence. That wasn't just fanatstic, that was transcendental. Thanks for sharing You legend. Peace. NFA.
