Matt Schofield Trio: Many Moons Vol. 1 Review

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.”

Schofield said that Vol. 2 is half written and he’s hoping to record it later this year. He explained the same trio will be involved but with added horns and some guests on some tracks.

Vol. 1 begins with the perfect opener in “Can’t Catch My Breath.” Written by Schofield and Christine Tambakis, it is a killer track that immediately draws the listeners into the infectious rhythm, leading us to wonder if we, too, will have time to catch our breath.

The mood of smoking red hot blues continues in tracks “Do Me Right,” and “Nothing But a Party.” Both feature stellar organ and guitar solos wrapped into catchy upbeat rhythms. “Do Me Right” includes a dynamic tempo shift late in the track, allowing Schofield to finish in a superb solo. Of course, Schofield, who has been named British Blues Guitarist of the year three times, is front and center throughout the record.

Some fabulous slow blues are featured in “Any Questions,” and “Measure of a Man.” The songs will appeal to the traditional blues fan but the pieces are fine contemporary originals.

Besides Schofield and Tambakis, Jay Stollman, Henderson and Jenkins share some of the writing credits. The record also includes two cover tunes: “Danger Zone,” written by Percy Mayfield and recorded by Ray Charles, and “Shoe On the Other Foot,” written and recorded by Albert Collins in 1991. We’d have to think that “Danger Zone” was included because it captures the current global mood, perhaps even more than it did in 1961 when it was first released.

The sole instrumental is a tune called “Wellington Shuffle,” and it features equal parts guitar and Hammond B3.

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.

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Do Me Right
– Nothing But a Party
– Any Questions
– Measure of a Man
– Can’t Catch My Breath

The Big Hit

– Can’t Catch My Breath