John Scofield - Meant To Be - 2 x 180g vinyl LPs

2026

John Scofield's quartet with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano was one of the premier modern jazz groups of the 1990s and the guitarist's second Blue Note album, Meant To Be, put all the band's firepower and nuanced musicality on full display with an 11-song set of Scofield originals, featuring bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Bill Stewart. 

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Scott Yanow

Meant to Be features guitarist John Scofield's 1990 pianoless quartet on 11 of his compositions. During the best selections (such as "Big Fan" and "Mr. Coleman to You") one can hear the influence of not just the original Ornette Coleman Quartet but the Keith Jarrett/Dewey Redman Quintet. Joe Lovano's increasingly original tenor sound (mixing together John Coltrane, Dewey Redman, and even Eddie Harris on this set) works well with Scofield and the tight but loose rhythm section (bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Bill Stewart). "Eisenhower" (a slightly tongue-in-cheek, boppish romp) and "Some Nerve" (which uses New Orleans parade rhythms) are also memorable performances. The colorful and enjoyable set is modern mainstream music of the 1990s, stretching ahead while holding on to the roots of hard bop, funk, and fusion.