Gary Grainger and Dennis Chambers Lock Into a Deep Pocket on “Blue Matter”

Gary Grainger and Dennis Chambers dig into John Scofield’s “Blue Matter” like two players who have spent a lifetime making groove feel effortless. This tune comes from Scofield’s classic Blue Matter album, and hearing it revisited like this is a reminder of just how deep the funk runs.  Grainger is holding it down on a PRS bass and bringing plenty of attitude with it. His tone is punchy and clear, and when he leans into the slap parts, it adds just the right amount of snap. It is funky!

And then there is Dennis Chambers.  Total legend. No other way to say it. Everything he plays feels locked, precise, and somehow completely relaxed at the same time. The ghost notes, the hi hat work, the way he shapes the groove around Grainger, it is all next level but never over the top.  It is tight, it is deep, and it just feels good.