Bass Player: Steve Swallow

This is a transcription of Steve Swallow’s beautiful solo over the Burt Bacharach tune ‘Alfie’ from the 2004 John Scofield Trio live CD ‘En Route’. It is a one chorus solo but it shows Swallow’s mastery of the concept of soloing in a Jazz context. You may have heard of the concept of ‘call and response’ in soloing but it is not often that you hear it in one person’s solo. Swallow opens his solo with the first five notes of the Bacharach melody and then uses that phrase to structure his solo. After the first phrase, ANSWERS that phrase in a different sonic register as if he is a second player. He then uses this appraoch a number of times throughout the solo creating what almost sounds like a duet with himself. Absolute class.

The solo starts around the 2:52 mark.