Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet
Set to Release Side Up -
November 4 on Ear Up Records
"Jeff is one of the most incredible musicians I've ever heard.
His deliberate and spontaneous sound can only come from a deep well of
musical understanding. With the Mu'tet he has also proven himself as a composer. I can listen to this music anytime and all the time.
It will not disappoint." - Dave Matthews
His deliberate and spontaneous sound can only come from a deep well of
musical understanding. With the Mu'tet he has also proven himself as a composer. I can listen to this music anytime and all the time.
It will not disappoint." - Dave Matthews
"Jeff Coffin is a ridiculously talented dude who has made incredible
contributions to Béla Fleck and the Flecktones over a 14-year period.
Jeff is making remarkable music of his own with the Mu'tet, and has found some really great musicians to collaborate with to achieve his vision." - Béla Fleck
contributions to Béla Fleck and the Flecktones over a 14-year period.
Jeff is making remarkable music of his own with the Mu'tet, and has found some really great musicians to collaborate with to achieve his vision." - Béla Fleck
Mutation is defined as the changing of a structure, resulting in a
variant form. That is a clear reflection of saxophonist and 3-time
Grammy® Award-winner Jeff Coffin's philosophy that music must continue to change and mutate in order to grow. Side Up (available November 4 on Ear Up Records), the 6th release with his critically acclaimed band Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet, showcases the astounding range of influences Coffin has absorbed as an in-demand sideman to a "who's who" of musicians.
Having
performed with Béla Fleck & the Flecktones from 1997-2010 and Dave
Matthews Band since 2008, Coffin has been traveling the globe as a
saxophonist, bandleader, composer and educator since the late 20th
Century. He has shared the stage with musicians such as Branford
Marsalis, Bob Mintzer, John Scofield, McCoy Tyner, Galactic, and Kirk
Whalum, as well as a wide variety of esteemed groups such as Phish, My
Morning Jacket, Van Morrison, The Dixie Chicks, Umphrey's McGee,
Widespread Panic, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among others.
Featuring 5-time Grammy® Award-winning drummer Roy 'Futureman' Wooten, electric bassist Felix Pastorius, trumpeter Bill Fanning and pianist/keyboardist Chris Walters, Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet strive to expand their horizons, as well as their fans, with music flavored by their eclectic interests on Side Up.
The compositions blend sounds from the deep wells of New Orleans Second
Line, African music, Indian Ragas, Brazilian music, folk, Gypsy, and
straight ahead jazz.
These
influences are shown throughout the album with tunes including the
African-inspired "The Scrambler" and the Indian-inspired "Mogador" -
both of which feature the breathtaking talents of tabla master Zakir Hussain.
As a nod to his jazz roots, "Steppin' Up" is the changes to John
Coltrane's "Giant Steps" done with a different melody and in the style
of a New Orleans brass band.
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Photo Credit: Greg Kessler
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The
album also spotlights compositions inspired by personal experiences and
relationships. "Yukemi" was written for his wife's parents before one
of their visits to the U.S. from their home in Northern Japan. The
song's title is a combination of his wife's parents' first names Yukichi
and Akemi. Continuing on that path, "And So It Begins" was written for
two friends who were getting married at his Nashville home in 2013. "Two
weeks before they were to be married, the bride to be was diagnosed
with breast cancer (she is now cancer free!), and so they were starting a
number of journeys together," states Coffin. "It seemed like an
appropriate way to start the album."
Coffin has assembled a world-class lineup of guests for this outing - Zakir Hussain on tabla, Herlin Riley on tambourine, Radha Botofasina on harp, Rod McGaha and Mike Haynes on trumpet, Roy Agee and Barry Green on trombone, Denis Solee and Evan Cobb on tenor saxophone, Pat Bergeson on harmonica, James DaSilva on guitar, R. Scott Bryan on congas, and Ryoko Suzuki on harmonium.
The
Mu'tet's mission is to deliver music that sends shockwaves down
people's spines with their fierce soloing and memorable compositions.
Coffin and Fanning aim for that goal sometimes by using guitar effects
on their horns, which they call 'electro-sax' and 'space trumpet.' These
techniques are featured on "Scratch That Itch," one of the funkier
tunes on the album, which Coffin co-wrote with New Orleans drummer, Doug
Belote and Nashville bassist Michael Rinne.
Side Up
marks the second consecutive recording which Coffin has extensively
collaborated compositionally with The Mu'tet. Notes Coffin. "A great
lesson I learned from Béla Fleck is to give the musicians freedom in
finding their 'voices' in the music." Following that philosophy, Coffin
only gave the sidemen a skeleton of sorts, which was then worked out in
rehearsals to form an entire fleshed out body of work. Coffin continues,
"These are some of the finest musicians I have ever had the opportunity
to play with. What they bring to the musical table is astonishing."
The
members of the band have the same admiration for Coffin as well. "I've
been playing alongside Jeff Coffin now for well over a decade and I can
easily say, without a doubt, that I would not be the person or musician I
am today if it wasn't for that invitation to join The Mu'tet," reflects
Pastorius who is also currently a member of the acclaimed
Yellowjackets. "For years now, Jeff has been a constant reminder of
dedication and hard work, and I believe it is no more apparent than in
his sound and his music."
Upcoming Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet Performances:
November 1 / Vermont Jazz Center / Brattleboro, VT
November 2 / Bridge Street Live / Collinsville, CT
November 4 / River Street Jazz Cafe / Plains, PA
November 5 / Blues Alley / Washington, DC
November 6 / DROM / New York, NY
November 7 / Clementine Cafe / Harrisonburg, VA
November 8 / Isis Music Hall / Asheville, NC
November 9 / 3rd & Lindsley / Nashville, TN
November 19 - 22 / Jazz at the Bistro / St. Louis, MO
January 16, 2015 / Jazz Arts Group - Lincoln Theatre / Columbus, OH
Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet · Side Up
Ear Up Records · Release Date: November 4, 2014
For more information on Jeff Coffin, please visit: JeffCoffin.com
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