Matt Schofield - Far As I Can See

Album: Far As I Can See
Size: 141,4 MB
Time: 61:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Blues/Rock/Jazz mix
Art: Full

1. From Far Away (5:44)
2. Clean Break (4:50)
3. Getaway (4:38)
4. Breaking Up Somebody's Home (5:06)
5. The Day You Left (9:16)
6. Oakville Shuffle (4:25)
7. Hindsight (4:59)
8. Everything (3:58)
9. Yellow Moon (5:57)
10. Tell Me Some Lies (2:44)
11. Red Dragon (9:43)

A soulfully blue release tinged with a delicious groove is the gift that guitarist/singer/songwriter Matt Schofield has given to the blues world with his latest release, Far As I Can See. 11 golden tracks make up the album, complete with swirling B3, killer drums, and fat bass that support Schofield’s melodic guitar playing.

The supporting cast deserves recognition for creating a pocket that feels absolutely wonderful, and makes Schofield’s job a bit easier. But then again, Schofield is a force to be reckoned with. His guitar tone is somewhat similar to Derek Trucks, but his playing is more heavily rooted in the blues than Trucks. The album certainly has a British invasion feel to it, but Schofield makes sure that his band isn’t simply another British blues band. Schofield’s voice is solid, and his songs are well-crafted, but the best part of the album is the groove. The band makes music that feels good, plain and simple.

Among the highlights are a gorgeous blues ballad in “The Day You Left,” a Maceo Parker inspired funk tune in “Hindsight,” and a tune in a class all by itself in “Red Dragon.” That being said, these tunes are all well-written and well-played; there isn’t a weak one on the record. This album is a real treat for any fan of not only the blues, but any groove-based music. From the funk to the ballads to the straight-ahead blues to the shuffles, this record just feels so darn good. /Nik Rodewald, Blues Rock Review

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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Matt Schofield - The Trio, Live

Album: The Trio, Live
Size: 123,2 MB
Time: 53:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Blues, jazzy blues
Art: Full

1. Uncle Junior (8:38)
2. Everyday I Have The Blues (7:22)
3. Bloody Murder (7:14)
4. Treat Me Lowdown (4:18)
5. Cissy Strut (8:34)
6. Travellin' South (6:07)
7. Sittin' On Top Of The World (5:22)
8. Hippology (5:56)

This acclaimed debut album is a melting pot of blues and powerful funk, building upon the format of the classic American organ trios of the fifties and sixties, adding the influence of the blues guitar greats (a nod in the direction of benchmark players such as B.B. King, Albert Collins and Robben Ford) and mixing in funky instrumental workouts. The result is a distinctive and highly charged sound, described by a music critic as “astonishingly mature for such a young group of musicians”.

Paul Jones (BBC R2) on hearing the Matt Schofield Trio, said “I could be somewhere in America listening to an internationally known group, and I think they possibly will be”. Guitarist Magazine described Matt’s guitar playing as “Dynamite” and Jonny Henderson’s organ playing as “Sensational”. Blues Revue (published out of the USA and the world’s premiere blues magazine) labelled Matt “a master of tone” and the CD “greasy and grand”. Vintage Guitar, America’s premiere six string read, listed the CD in their VG Hit List calling it “a fine record”.

The CD was recorded live at a single gig – no rehearsal, no retakes, no fixes, just straight to tape! That’s what these guys are about – they excel in live performance, allowing the music to develop and grow spontaneously and there’s something magical in the way the three gel, lifting one another to new heights.

Personnel: Matt Schofield (guitar, vocals); Jonny Henderson (organ); Evan Jenkins (drums).

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Matt Schofield Trio - Live At The Jazz Cafe!

Album: Live At The Jazz Cafe!
Size: 143,7 MB
Time: 62:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Blues, jazzy blues
Art: Full

1. All You Need (6:02)
2. Uncle Junior (9:11)
3. Lights Are On But Nobody's Home (10:24)
4. Travellin' South (8:05)
5. Cissy Strut (10:16)
6. On My Way (6:10)
7. It's Your Thing (12:26)

62 minutes of the Trio's blazing 20th April 2005 performance at the London Jazz Cafe. Here you will hear favourites from the debut live album played a little differently and extended versions of songs from "Siftin' Thru Ashes", together with a stunning instrumental rendition of the Isley brothers "It's Your Thing". In a review of this show, Blues in Britain's editor wrote "The Cream of their generation (and the inference is intentional). Fantastic".

British guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Matt Schofield is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive and innovative guitarists to have emerged on the world scene for several generations. He is rated in the top ten British blues guitarists of all time (Guitar & Bass Magazine) putting him in the company of such iconic names as Eric Clapton and Peter Green. In his relatively short solo career Schofield’s prowess as a blues guitarist has taken his band to twelve countries - seen him playing with iconic guitarists like Buddy Guy and Robben Ford - and brought him high praise in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings as one of only two living British artists in recording history to gain a maximum four-star rating.

Personnel: Matt Schofield (guitar, vocals); Jonny Henderson (organ); Evan Jenkins (drums).

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Matt Schofield - Ten From The Road

Album: Ten From The Road
Size: 155,9 MB
Time: 67:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Blues/Rock/Jazz mix
Art: Front

1. Ear To The Ground (6:14)
2. Don't Know What I'd Do (6:26)
3. Live Wire (5:30)
4. Where Do I Have To Stand (9:02)
5. Anything But Time (4:24)
6. Dreaming Of You (5:36)
7. Shipwrecked (6:50)
8. See Me Through (9:56)
9. Siftin' Thru Ashes (7:55)
10. Not Raining Now (5:50)

Ten From The Road is a 2012 live release from Matt Schofield, culled from two shows from his UK Anything But Time tour, capturing the Matt Schofield Trio at it’s very best - live. Over an hour of power from Matt, Jonny Henderson and Kevin Hayes, featuring 10 previously unreleased, extended and expanded versions of songs from "Anything But Time", and other favourites from the band’s back catalogue.

Personnel: Matt Schofield (guitar, vocals); Jonny Henderson (organ); Kevin Hayes (drums).

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Matt Schofield Trio - Many Moons Vol. 1

Album: Many Moons Vol. 1
Size: 97,4 MB
Time: 42:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Blues, jazzy blues
Art: Front

1. Can't Catch My Breath (5:37)
2. Any Questions (5:59)
3. Shoe On The Other Foot (5:26)
4. Measure Of A Man (7:29)
5. Wellington Shuffle (3:13)
6. Do Me Right (5:11)
7. Danger Zone (4:12)
8. Nothing But A Party (5:07)

British Blues Hall of Fame guitarist Matt Schofield spends a lot of time running masterclass workshops on both sides of the Atlantic. So it’s no surprise that his latest release, Many Moons Vol. 1, is, in itself, a masterclass in blues guitar. Everything from slow blues, through shuffles to blistering solos, this album is a must-have blueprint for the modern blues player. Schofield, who is ranked among the top 10 British blues guitarists of all time, launched his tenth album with a deliberately stripped-down trio. The title reflects the fact that it’s been 20 years since his first record came out and “many moons” since he’s worked with the original trio of Jonny Henderson on Hammond B3 organ and Evan Jenkins on drums.

Speaking about the album, Schofield told Blues Rock Review, “For me and a lot of my fans there’s nothing quite like the chemistry between me, Jonny and Evan. So I wanted to revisit that because we haven’t done a record in a long time with that lineup.” He pointed out that the album is pure trio, with guitar, organ, drums and singing. “It’s just us, as if we were playing live, but we recorded it in Peter Gabriel’s studio, Real World, over a few days. The room has an amazing ambient sound and that sound is all over this record,” he added. Schofield isn’t wrong – the production value of the album is first-rate. “I’m pretty happy with this record and I don’t always love my own recordings. It’s the hardest thing for me because I am an improviser and you have to accept that, once the track is down, this is the version.”

During the discussion with BRR, Schofield pointed out that a lot of contemporary blues guitarists come from his era. “Me, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Mayer, Eric Gales, Kirk Fletcher, Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, (who has played with both Bonamassa and Schofield) were all born around 1977.” He speculated, “Something happened to create an era of modern blues guitarists. I suspect that the influence of Stevie Ray Vaughan is the unifying factor as he was killed around the time we were coming of age.” On his website, Bonamassa noted, “Matt Schofield is a phenomenal player and should be regarded as such!” Endorsements like that solidify Schofield’s place among those peers and punctuates the importance of his work, including Many Moons Vol. 1. /Bob Liddycot, Blues Rock Review

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Matt Schofield - Live From The Archive

Year: 2010
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:17
Size: 162,0 MB
Styles: Electric blues, jazzy blues
Scans: Full

1. All You Need (6:13)
2. Siftin' Thru Ashes (6:15)
3. Band Intro (0:46)
4. Light's Are On But Nobody's Home (10:37)
5. Room At The Back (4:18)
6. On My Way (6:13)
7. Black Cat Bone (9:50)
8. Sitting On Top Of The World (7:15)
9. The Letter (18:46)

Recorded live without overdubs or sweetening in the Netherlands, this 2007 date was first made available in 2010 to coincide with Matt Schofield's U.S. and Canadian tour. The trio format works efficiently for the U.K. guitarist as keyboardist Jonny Henderson also picks up the basslines. Henderson's organ lines mixed with Schofield's guitar are a combustible combination that makes this trio sound like a larger band. The effect is a blues-jazz hybrid, heavier on the former, that allows Schofield to strut his stuff on extended versions of songs.

That's a distinct change from his studio albums, where his sharp guitar solos are compact and in service of the tune. While that's an appropriate avenue to follow in the more confined environment of the studio, the live setting lets Schofield unwind and show just how powerful and accomplished a soloist he is. He's impressive on relatively short, six-minute workouts such as the sleazy shuffle of "On My Way," but is nothing short of explosive when charging through a ten-minute version of Albert Collins' "Lights Are on But Nobody's Home" and a set-closing, near 20-minute cover of the Box Tops/Joe Cocker hit "The Letter." His tone shifts from smooth to biting, often within minutes, and his sense of timing makes his playing tough and taut yet fluid.

He's a better guitarist than vocalist, but puts across the songs with conviction and never tries too hard or oversings. Echoes of Hendrix open "Siftin' Thru Ashes" and Schofield even references "Smoke on the Water"'s classic riff in the improv section of "The Letter," all of which shows how much fun he's having unwinding at his own pace. The sound is crisp and as sharp as the playing and the audience stays in the background where it belongs, making this a near-perfect live recording, even granting the practically inevitable drum solo. It's a terrific concert album that captures a hot band nailing its groove with intensity and professionalism. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

(For personnel details, see artwork included.)

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JL Fulks - On Down The Road EP

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:20
Size: 60.3 MB
Styles: Rockin blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. The River
[4:23] 2. On Down The Road (Feat. Matt Schofield)
[8:54] 3. I Believe Inlove
[3:59] 4. Honeyain't That Love
[5:18] 5. Phrygian Dance

Jeffrey Lynn Fulks Jr. now known as JL Fulks was born in Fountain Inn, South Carolina in 1990. At age 13, he began playing guitar, after being inspired by his father's love for the blues. JL’s immediate prowess with the instrument led to him joining The Praise Band at Pleasant Grove Christian Academy. When his father noticed his son’s abilities, he gave him the Stevie Ray Vaughan album "Texas Flood" and told him, "If you're going to play guitar, play it like that.”

When his family moved to South Florida in 2011, JL continued his musical education by enrolling with Berklee College of Music's online extension program. This afforded him the opportunity to study with some of the world’s best guitar and music instructors. While studying with Berklee, JL began making a name for himself in South Florida by performing every night. JL began performing with a local cover band called "The Flyers" and recorded his first EP "Dixie Highway" with Patrick Farinas. It wasn't long before his abilities were recognized and JL was being asked to sit in with many successful and talented musicians. He has shared the stage with such names as Matt Schofield, Chris Duarte, JP Soars and the Red Hots, Rickey Godfrey, Mac Arnold and the Plate Full of Blues Band, Victor Wainwright & The Wildroots, Damon Fowler, Southern Hospitality, Brandon Santini and his Band, Muggie Doo (Buddy Miles Express), Tom Holland (James Cotton Band), Boo Boo Davis, David Shelley and Bluestone, Bob Corritore, John Nemeth, Terry Hanck, Jeff Prine, and Patrick Farinas.

Now, at 24 years old, JL Fulks has already lived the dream that most musicians work their whole lives to achieve. JL has relocated to South Florida and started fronting his own trio again performing at the best clubs in South Florida. JL continues to collaborate with many artists and plays as a part-time sideman for some legendary blues musicians. He is also a substitute teacher at the school of rock and is asked frequently to record on many artists records. A new EP being produced by David Shelley is in store as well as more touring. JL recently opened for Tab Benoit at the Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and is in booked for more openings in the future. Catch this rising star at a venue near you!

On Down The Road

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Matt Schofield - Anything But Time

Year: 2011
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:58
Size: 116,6 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Scans: Full

1. Anything But Time (3:38)
2. See Me Through (6:51)
3. At Times We Do Forget (5:41)
4. Shipwrecked (5:02)
5. Dreaming Of You (4:52)
6. Wrapped Up In Love (3:43)
7. Where Do I Have To Stand (7:00)
8. One Look (And I'm Hooked) (4:17)
9. Don't Know What I'd Do (4:11)
10. Share Our Smile Again (4:37)

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" might sound like faint praise for a musician, but in U.K. guitarist Matt Schofield's case, it's a compliment. Also, some things have changed since his last studio release two years ago. He recorded this one in New Orleans with veteran producer John Porter and brought in ex-Robert Cray drummer Kevin Hayes. Still, his alternately breezy/stinging blues flecked with a swinging jazz groove stays the same. Big Easy mainstay Jon Cleary - who also made the trek from the U.K. to New Orleans, where he now resides - contributes to a few tracks, but otherwise it's business as usual with Schofield tearing into fluid, biting guitar lines and wrapping far-better-than-average originals around his emotional yet boyish voice.

He brings the ballad side of Jimi Hendrix - think "Little Wing", "Angel", and "May This be Love" - to his own "Dreaming of You", and writes a terrific slow burner in the seven-minute "Where Do I Have to Stand". He's a compelling guitarist, as is shown in the gradual intensity he brings to the two leads in that song which build to a fiery climax, but it's his imaginatively arranged, sharply written songs and distinctive vocals that put him so far ahead of the pack of fellow contemporary singing guitar slingers. Albert King's "Wrapped Up in Love" gets a wonderfully funky workout, helped immensely by Hayes' backbeat, and Steve Winwood's "At Times We Do Forget," an obscure track salvaged from Winwood's under-the-radar 2008 release Nine Lives, is Schofield's first stab at covering a relatively current tune.

Deep-fried New Orleans funk seeps into "One Look (And I'm Hooked)", which finds the singer/guitarist digging into a rare baritone vocal to push the song into dark, swampy territory. It's given extra heft by longtime cohort Johnny Henderson's organ, and keyboard-bass work that is so much a part of Schofield's sound. Porter adds spacious and crisp audio that jumps out of the speakers, making even musty shuffles such as "Don't Know What I'd Do" connect with a freshness and snappy energy rarely captured in the studio. Only the stereotypical slow blues of "See Me Through", a perfectly fine "Stormy Monday"-influenced grinder, seems to be added just to establish Schofield as an old-school-influenced bluesman, something he can pull off perfectly well, but which doesn't utilize the songwriting strengths that make the rest of this superb album so rewarding. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

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Matt Schofield - Heads, Tails & Aces

Year: 2009
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:55
Size: 139,8 MB
Styles: Modern electric blues
Scans: Full

1. What I Wanna Hear (6:02)
2. Live Wire (4:45)
3. War We Wage (4:32)
4. Betting Man (5:41)
5. Lay It Down (8:45)
6. Can't Put You Down (3:16)
7. Woman Across The River (3:47)
8. Nothing Left (6:25)
9. I Told Ya (5:35)
10. Stranger Blues (5:48)
11. Not Raining Now (5:13)

It won't take long for even a fan of U.K. blues-jazz guitarist Matt Schofield to realize that this is his most focused, blues-oriented album to date. The opening track, "What I Wanna Hear," sets up an easygoing shuffle landing somewhere between Texas and Chicago as Schofield's laid-back yet emotional voice digs into the sparse, insistent groove, propelled by Jonny Henderson's organ. When the guitarist lets loose, it's a solo that's wired from the heart, plowing into the arrangement with a lean, mean tone that slithers and glides above the walking bass beat. It's a six-minute tour de force that fades out, leaving the listener wanting more. Fortunately there's plenty where that came from on the ten additional songs from Schofield's fourth release. His plaintive vocals and sizzling guitar have often, and correctly, been compared to Robben Ford, but on Heads, Tails & Aces, Schofield's terrific songs give him a slight edge over Ford due to the latter's often inconsistent material.

The U.K. talent has been honing his recordings since his 2004, debut but tunes such as the soulful ballad "War We Wage" show that he's now an accomplished songwriter whose music, while blues-based, can easily cross over to a larger audience. He wrote or co-composed all but two tracks, as well as producing the disc. Schofield's songs effectively avoid the dreaded blues clichés so common to the genre with sharp, well-conceived lyrics, and unexpectedly skillful melodies that borrow just enough from pop to make them memorable.

His jazzier chops shine on the Steely Dan-styled "Nothing Left," letting scatting guitar lines float above the verses, then taking flight on the song's solo section. A few covers round out the album with Schofield digging into "Woman Across the River" (performed by Freddie King) and Elmore James' "Stranger Blues" with class, verve, and intensity. The closing ballad "Not Raining Now" is yet another gem, an Eric Clapton-influenced tune that lets Schofield's guitar lines drizzle through this R&B-influenced romp. It concludes a superb set that proves the U.K. blues roots artist might just be getting warmed up to become one of the major contemporary stars in his overcrowded field. /Hal Horowitz, AllMusic

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Matt Schofield - Siftin' Thru Ashes / Ear To The Ground

Album:: Siftin' Thru Ashes
Size: 128,5 MB
Time: 55:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Blues Rock, Blues Jazz
Art: Front & Back

01. All You Need (3:30)
02. Siftin' Thru Ashes (4:21)
03. Djam (5:59)
04. Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home (6:36)
05. The Letter (5:09)
06. Back At Square One (5:23)
07. People Say (7:07)
08. How I Try (2:55)
09. On My Way (4:33)
10. Middle Ground (5:43)
11. Hard Lines (4:30)

Blues-rock and blues-jazz are two different worlds. Blues-jazz tends to appeal to Jimmy Witherspoon fans who also appreciate Richard "Groove" Holmes and Jack McDuff; blues-rock tends to appeal to Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan fans who also know a great Jimmy Page or Eddie Van Halen solo when they hear one. But there are times when blues-rock and blues-jazz come together; they have often come together for Robben Ford, and they come together with memorable results on Matt Schofield's Siftin' Thru Ashes. This 2005 release finds Schofield leading an organ trio -- Schofield on vocals and guitar, Jonny Henderson on organ, and Evan Jenkins on drums -- and that format helps bring out the jazz element. Organ trios, of course, were a crucial part of soul-jazz in the '50s and '60s; the organ trio was a format that served Holmes, McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott, and many others well. And it is a format that allows for a lot of improvisation on the instrumental "Djam." But instrumentals are the exception instead of the rule on Siftin' Thru Ashes; Schofield sings more often than not on this album, which offers a healthy balance of blues-rock muscle and blues-jazz sophistication. Schofield is a loud, gritty, sweaty, burning dynamo of an electric guitarist, but all that toughness doesn't erase his desire to include some jazz complexity in his recipe -- and that ability to balance blues-rock and blues-jazz considerations serves him well on original material as well as an inspired cover of the Box Tops' '60s hit "The Letter." Siftin' Thru Ashes doesn't take the jazz element quite as far as some albums by Robben Ford and Dave Specter -- Schofield doesn't include any Thelonious Monk or Charlie Parker tunes -- but even so, this CD is an enjoyable demonstration of what can happen when blues-rock and blues-jazz are united. ~Review by Alex Henderson

Thanks To Marc.
Siftin' Thru Ashes

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Album:: Ear To The Ground
Size: 119,6 MB
Time: 52:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Blues Rock, Blues Jazz
Art: Front & Back

01. Pack It Up (4:01)
02. Troublemaker (3:22)
03. Ear To The Ground (5:46)
04. Heart Don't Need A Compass (6:49)
05. Once In A While (5:44)
06. Room At The Back (2:23)
07. Someone (4:57)
08. Searchin' (Give Me A Sign) (5:35)
09. Move Along (2:39)
10. Cookie Jar (5:49)
11. When It All Comes Down (4:51)

Born in Manchester, England, in 1977, British singer/guitarist Matt Schofield was not around during the British blues-rock explosion of the '60s (as in Cream, Ten Years After, and the Yardbirds). Schofield isn't old enough to remember when Eric Clapton was with Cream, and he was only three when Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980. But thanks to recordings, he has been able to absorb many of the great blues, rock, soul, and jazz artists who came from previous generations -- and this excellent CD demonstrates that the recordings of Schofield's predecessors have taught him well. Ear to the Ground, like his previous release, Siftin' Thru Ashes, is full of healthy influences ranging from Chess Records to British blues-rock to Robben Ford to Stevie Ray Vaughan. Schofield is blues-oriented, but he is far from a blues purist and does not try to hide his appreciation of rock, jazz, soul, and funk. In fact, one of the great things about Ear to the Ground is the way Schofield is able to draw on both the toughness of blues-rock and the sophistication of blues-jazz. Schofield packs a muscular blues-rock punch on "Heart Don't Need a Compass," "Troublemaker," and "Someone," but his jazz chops assert themselves pleasingly well on "Searchin' (Give Me a Sign)" and the instrumental "Move Along." And from a jazz standpoint, the fact that Schofield leads an organ trio on Ear to the Ground is a definite plus; the organ trio, after all, is a format that is synonymous with Hammond B-3 icons like Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, and Richard "Groove" Holmes. Those who enjoyed Siftin' Thru Ashes will be glad to know that Schofield is equally captivating on Ear to the Ground. ~Review by Alex Henderson

Thanks to Marc.
Ear To The Ground

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