Silent Photographer

Considerably absorbing... Dynamically astute and rhythmically sensitive, this is very satisfying music, the kind of interactive jazz that doesn't hit you over the head as much as insinuate itself into your consciousness.
Stuart Kempsky, CADENCE

After a decade of performing together, the rapport between guitarist John Stowell, bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop has reached what Cadence magazine calls "an enviable tightness." Whether performing their intriguing originals or the thoughtful reimaginings of less-done classics, each piece is a ticket to somewhere unique, like a travelogue of where the trio's members have been and where they would like to go.

"...musical creativity at its best." - Richard Kamins, Hartford Courant

Production Info:

Produced by SCENES
Recorded and mixed by Dave Dysart
at Ice Station Zebra, Seattle, WA
Recorded on November 2, 2010
Mastered by Levi Seitz,
at Black Belt Mastering, Bellevue, WA
Cover photograph by Pawel Gaul
Instrument photos by John Bishop
Cover design by John Bishop

Reviews of Silent Photographer

The Jazz Word (John Barron)
Intuitiveness coupled with camaraderie creates a steady flow of inspiration throughout Silent Photographer, the latest from the Seattle-based jazz trio known as Scenes. The collective, consisting of guitarist John Stowell, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop, performs mostly original compositions along with a few lesser-known jazz classics ...

Jazz Society of Oregon (George Fendel)
Portland guitarist Stowell has been performing and recording with Seattlites Jeff Johnson and John Bishop for some ten years now. Like any recipe worth waiting for, the time has been worth it, as this threesome communicate and anticipate one another with ease and symmetry. Cadence magazine calls this trait "an enviable tightness," and it's easy to ...

Jazz Society of Oregon (Kyle O'Brien)
John Stowell is a busy guitarist. This is his second of three releases in several months, here with the Scenes trio that includes Jeff Johnson on basses and John Bishop on drums. The trio has been playing together for a decade, and the connection between the musicians is enviable. They seem to have a musical ESP that makes what could be a fairly st ...

Audiophile Audition (Doug Simpson)
Scenes: placing modern artistic jazz in an empathic trio setting. The Pacific Northwest is full of jazz musicians who deserve more notice outside the region. The Seattle/Portland trio Scenes is one example. Guitarist John Stowell, bassist Jeff Johnson and Origin Records honcho/drummer John Bishop first came together, along with tenor saxophonist ...

Cadence (David Franklin)
After a decade of playing together, the trio Scenes has developed a large measure of cohesiveness. They play well individually and function at a high level as a team. Here they perform their own unique versions of Wayne Shorter's "Black Eyes," Herbie Hancock's "Chan's Song," and John Coltrane's "Resolution," along with three originals by Stowell an ...

Western Australian Guitar Player Society (DS)
Always great to hear John play in such an interactive trio! The CD features tunes written by jazz composers/players. "Black Eyes" is a Wayne Shorter tune. The guitar solo has nice triplets and chordal passages, nice electric bass solo follows before guitar and drum trades. "Three French Nuns" by Stowell shows a more angular and moody side to hi ...

Jazzreview.com (Eric Prinzing)
Silent Photographer is an excellent trio recording. The tone is generally hushed and introspective, and the improvisations are searching and cerebral. Though the group does utilize dissonance, space and tense harmony, the music never feels alienating. The musicianship here is first rate, and the group's interplay is equally impressive. Further cre ...