"Heck Of A Job" has a Big Easy beat, which paired with the horn section, sounds like a cut off of 1995's creole-flavored Groove Elation.

The next track marks the beginning of the covers, the third indicator that Scofeld is in a wistful mood. And of all the covers, this one is the most effective. Sco' gives this Charlie Rich classic an affecting treatment, carefully plucking and bending his strings to squeeze the right amount of emotion out of the tune.

The aforementioned "House Of The Rising Sun" follows with a completely different arrangement than the original. A much faster tempo provides the platform for the leader to trade some spirited fours with Frisell. "Satisfaction" is also covered later in the album, and both of these familiar oldies were chosen because they were among the very first songs Scofield learned to play on guitar.

"Shoe Dog" is a tune of the country-folk variety that features a precise, characteristic high register bass solo by Swallow. Stewart later adds his own solo, a slow, lazy but real funky one.

"Memorette" is a 6/4-timed, gently urbane piece that provides a chance for Scofield to swing softly but convincingly. "Trio Blues" as just what the title says it is: a blues jam performed by trio (plus horns, of course). Stewart provides some short and sweet fills.

"Pretty Out" sounded familiar to me when I first heard it, and that's because this free-jazz exercise first appeared on Grace Under Pressure from 1992. It's a great tune with a nicely written theme, but in this shorter version, the horns really don't fit in and there's barely time to stretch out. But a welcome change of pace follows with a lively rendering of "Satisfaction."

Recent releases by John Scofield seem to fall into either the "jam band" Sco' or the "arty" Sco'. By now you know this CD falls squarely into the latter category. But anyone who appreciates both the artistry and technique of the man should embrace this record, regardless of what genre you can assign to it. As with a much of his work, good luck trying to neatly pigeonhole it. And that's the beauty of This Meets That: it's dictated more by moods and format, not categories. The commitment to quality makes it all work well.