 |
 |
 CD REVIEW
|
|
|
Jeff Coffin & The Mu'tet: LIVE! "Music in Motion" |
|
 Bees buzz about the patio that overlooks the dusty hills sitting adjacent to voluptuous grapevines on the grounds surrounding the mystical Gorge Amphitheatre in central Washington state. The view is spectacular – the Columbia River squirms below, reflecting the day's sunlight with a blinding sparkle that is merely the opening act for the twinkle of infinite stars in the night's black sky.At a cast-iron table, ordering his breakfast with a special request to expedite the coffee and monitor its level closely, sits Jeff Coffin, saxophonist in Dave Matthews Band, former member of Bela Fleck & the Flectones, and leader of the Jeff Coffin Mu'tet. Simultaneously working his laptop and cell phone, Jeff is finalizing details for an upcoming Mu'tet gig in New York. His appearance is eye catching – shaved head, artsy specs, and a warm, genuine smile residing above his world champion goatee. We’re meeting to discuss the Mu'tet's new live record, but conversation begins naturally and flows easily. We shoot the shit for two hours, talking current events, film, family, yoga and politics before settling in on music. The Mu'tet is an all-star cast that varies in composition – it isn't a quartet or a quintet, it’s a "mu’tet." While the band's identity may be fluid, one thing remains constant – it’s a collection of bad mofos looking to put a fresh face on classically spirited jazz. The pursuit of the Mu'tet is to shift perspective, and Coffin says they consider it the ultimate gift to give others an "aesthetic experience." Having earned his degree in music education from the renowned music program at University of North Texas, it’s easy for Jeff to drop jargon like he’s chatting with other scholars, but he’s down to earth enough to dilute it for an average Joe who simply likes what he hears. Coffin combines a professorial quality of composition with an almost athletic execution – both of which are found here, on LIVE!, a double disc album featuring eight tracks and opening with “Tag,” a teasing cat and mouse of bass and drums with sax riffs that complete the Tom & Jerry soundtrack. The tune shifts shapes over and again before returning to the base arrangement, then reeling in and fluttering into the smooth and steady “Al’s Greens.” Coffin says that his music is rooted in organics but aims to push boundaries while never losing sight of the groove – the thing that gives music its motion. To this end, Coffin is proud that the Mu’tet’s rhythm section does not reside in the background – drummer Jeff Sipe and bassist Felix Pastorius are perpetually front and center. In fact, one notices a certain synergy throughout the Mu’tet’s play in that turns aren’t necessarily taken – it’s more that each piece supports the other, and it’s this cohesiveness that amounts to something special. On “The Evil Boweevil,” Kofi Burbidge does more than just keep the pace on keys, as he toots the flute with a flurry on the super-funky jam that features a furious finale of ascending intensity. In a challenging change of pace, the aching and gorgeous “Turiya” is more than just “kind of” blue – it is despair, sorrow and loneliness, and it is these things in themselves, not merely “like” them. Most music is described by adjectives – Coffin’s embodies nouns. “The Mad Hatter Rides Again” is a rollercoasting carnival of playfully joyful rhythms and shifting melodic structures sewn together with lots of top-sided jamming and totally funky fills from the bottom. I defy any listener to resist the need to move. The Mardi Gras parade groove of “Move Your Rug” and the Arabic influenced “L’Esperance” take us down the homestretch with almost 40 minutes of music combined. Mike Seal’s nimble guitar work stands out on the former, particularly the interplay with the horn section about half way through. The viscerally exciting “L’Esperance” is a pummeling, harrowing, thrilling journey that seems to move through space in an unintuitive way, twisting the mind like a metaphysical puzzle. Knowing that the title translates to “hope” only adds to its complexity. The tune is an experience. The Mu’tet exists to experiment – “We’ve got to grow; if we get stagnant, it’s over.” These players are peaking around corners and lifting up rocks to see what they find, and they’re stretching out wide to push boundaries. In Jeff’s words, “the music should be as challenging and interesting to play as it is for the audience to listen to” – it certainly is; and if it’s as fun to play as it is to listen to, these guys are having a damn good time. www.jeffcoffin.com 
|
|