Scofield's Return: A Decade Later
Burton and Scofield finally got their chance to make an album together, more than a decade after their first working relationship.
What makes Times Like These (1988) distinctive is John Scofield's presence — not because he's the most famous name here, but because this record exists partly to correct an oversight. Scofield had spent a year in Burton's quartet early in his career, but they never recorded together during that time. By 1988, Scofield was an established voice in contemporary jazz, and Burton assembled this all-star group specifically to capture what those earlier sessions couldn't. The vibraphonist surrounded himself with Marc Johnson on bass and former Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine, a rhythm section built for flexibility and responsiveness. Michael Brecker appears on two tracks, adding tenor saxophone weight where needed. But the album's spine is Burton and Scofield working through diverse material with the ease of musicians who understood each other's instincts, even if a decade had passed since they last played together regularly. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow gave the album 4½ stars, noting that Burton sounds commanding across the varied repertoire, and that this session finally gave Scofield and the vibraphonist the chance to document what their earlier collaboration had only hinted at. The result is a solid mainstream jazz record — professional, well-recorded, and built on genuine chemistry rather than star-power assembly.
Who's playing
Marc Johnsonbass
John Scofieldguitar
Michael Breckertenor saxophone
Peter Erskinedrums
Gary Burtonvibraphone
Where next?
More by Gary Burton
All 42 albums →
The musicians on this record
Flat Out 1989
John Scofield
plays guitar here
plays guitar here
Michael Brecker 1987
Michael Brecker
plays tenor saxophone here
plays tenor saxophone here
