MUSIC; THINGS THAT GO 'BUMP' INNOVATIVE SCOFIELD DOES IT ALL.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

Inventive jazz-funk guitarist John Scofield admits it: ``I love organ too much.''

For his latest disc, the aptly titled ``Bump,'' Scofield expands the syncopated grooves he developed on 1998's ``A Go Go,'' an adventurous collaboration with acid-jazz organ trio Medeski, Martin and Wood. Previously, he worked with organist Larry Goldings on several albums.

This time, though, don't expect the gospel-tinged feel of a Hammond B-3 or funky clavinet bubbling away in the background. Scofield says the rhythm instrument simply works ``too well'' in his music.

``I wanted to change the whole sonic thing this time,'' he explained. ``It made a big difference. I'm glad I did it.''

Scofield is certainly no stranger to funk. In the early '80s, he recorded and toured with the pioneer of jazz-funk fusion, Miles Davis, appearing on ``Star People,'' ``Decoy'' and ``You're Under Arrest.''

And he's happy to see deep, churning grooves come back into style at the start of the new century.

``I've always been into funk, and right now, the James Brown, Sly Stone, Miles Davis 'Bitches Brew' tradition of the late '60s and early '70s is so alive in young bands,'' Scofield, 48, said. ``At this particular time in history, there's no generation gap - for me anyway.''

Scofield is considered one of the ``big three'' influences in contemporary jazz guitar, along with Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell. But the Dayton, Ohio, native is perhaps the most directly rock-oriented of the trio and his distinctive, jagged tone stems partly from the use of effect pedals. On the new album's ``Beep Beep,'' for example, he experiments with various effects, tweaking out playful squeals and snarls over percolating beats.

``The possibilities are endless,'' Scofield said.

A masterful soloist, the guitarist studied at the Berklee School of Music in the early '70s, playing around Boston before signing on with the Billy Cobham-George Duke band and cutting a live album with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker at Carnegie Hall. He later recorded with Charles Mingus and joined the Gary Burton quartet and Dave Liebman's quintet.

His nearly two dozen solo albums include projects with such well-known players as Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano and Eddie Harris.

To vary the feel of the dozen original compositions on ``Bump'' (in stores Tuesday), Scofield called upon a number of young musicians to bring beats and bass lines in various rhythm-section combinations.

Drummer Eric Kalb and percussionist Johnny Durkin come from the New England funk outfit Deep Banana Blackout, bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen play with the postmodern jazz quartet Sex Mob, and sample maven Mark De Gli Antoni plies his trade with Soul Coughing.

``Bump'' (Verve) was produced by Lee Townsend, with whom Scofield has worked on his last half-dozen records, as well as his joint album with Metheny, ``I Can See Your House From Here.''

Scofield's flexibility allows him to move from a project like ``Bump'' to another with drummer Billy Higgins, saxophonist Kenny Garrett, bassist Christian McBride and pianist Brad Mehldau; to jam with bands like Govt. Mule and Moe; to pursue an unusual side group with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart; and to join a New Orleans jam session with members of the Meters and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band horns.

This week, he was in Britain appearing with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to perform contemporary composer Mark Anthony Turnadge's ``Blood on the Floor,'' conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

``The composer knew about me and asked me to play,'' Scofield said from Birmingham. ``It was influenced by jazz and Stravinsky with a little room for improvisation.''

The Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform the Turnadge piece this year, but without Scofield, who will be on the road with his new band, the guitarist said.

For the first time, Scofield will be touring with a rhythm guitarist, Avi Bortnick, who was recommended by Bay Area guitarist Charlie Hunter.

``He's a master at rhythm,'' Scofield said. ``He switches off on electric and acoustic and uses a lot of pedals like I do. We're just working out all the things we can do.''

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John Scofield is considered one of the ``big three'' influences in contemporary jazz guitar.