Scofield, John: Meant to Be (Blue Note Classic) LP

John Scofield’s quartet with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano was one of the premier modern jazz groups of the 1990s and the guitarist’s 2nd Blue Note album Meant to Be put all the band’s firepower and nuanced musicality on full display. The Scofield-Lovano frontline was introduced the year prior on Scofield’s label debut Time on My Hands and here they’re joined by bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Bill Stewart for an enthralling 11-song set of Scofield originals. The quartet barrels through high-energy up-tempo numbers including “Big Fan” and “Go Blow,” brings the funk on tunes like “Chariots,” and down-shifts for beautiful ballad performances of “Keep Me in Mind” and “The Guinness Spot.”