2010 – Live From The Archive
In 2004 Matt Schofield defied convention and made his debut release a live recording. Produced on modest equipment and comprising all covers, it nonetheless made commentators sit up and take notice. Brimming with deep grooves and stellar guitar playing, that first CD heralded the rise of Britain’s most exciting contemporary blues guitarist.
Now with three highly acclaimed studio albums under his belt, Schofield has chosen to revisit the live arena and release a recording of a 2007 live-to-air broadcast for NPS, Holland’s equivalent of the BBC. A near flawless world-class performance, no retakes, no production fixes, just the show as it was broadcast.
The eight tracks (plus a ninth of band introductions) represent all but one of the numbers played in the radio show, (one was lost due to a recording glitch). Schofield plays songs from his 2005 and 2007 albums, and four covers including his version of Black Cat Bone, an audience favourite at shows and now committed to CD for the first time.
When performing much-covered songs such as Sitting on Top of The World, Schofield makes them his own; and his version of The Letter will have fans of extended jam-outs grinning with pleasure. In this guise, what was the shortest ever Billboard #1 at under two minutes becomes an eighteen-minute canvas for Schofield and his band mates to show off their undeniable talents. The whole album bristles with the musicianship and energy for which Schofield is renowned.
Matt Schofield: Guitar, Vocals
Jonny Henderson: Organ
Evan Jenkins: Drums, Percussion
