Aided past times an all-star cast of jazz, jam, bluegrass, too funk musicians, Jeff Coffin explores an impressive variety of textures too styles, gracing each amongst his peerless energy, musicianship, too technique. On Mutopia, Coffin presents the around consummate flick notwithstanding of his eclectic musical vision. Two steps beyond an otherworldly fusion of Ornette Coleman, The Meters, too Medeski, Martin, too Wood, Mutopia puts Jeff Coffin at the forefront of a novel generation of improvising musicians for whom boundaries are meaningless too everyone is invited to the party.
Jeff Coffin's function amongst Béla Fleck's Flecktones has entirely been somewhat reflective of his efforts every bit a leader. The saxophonist/composer is quite able inward a to a greater extent than progressive, accessibly contemporary trend to limited his personalized music, which is inward many ways noun too cleverly rendered. While recent efforts accept veered toward a commercialized approach, this CD amongst his Mu'tet bears distinct elements of the Jazz Crusaders too the outset bands of Derek Trucks. No dubiety the improver of a stout horn department on a few selections, too collaboration amongst the keyboardist too flute thespian Kofi Burbridge -- good known for his function amongst the Trucks band -- has a lot to practise amongst how this grouping reacts too responds. All inward all, there's roughly really hip music here, ranging from the 7/4 funk amongst dual electrical bass guitarists on "Al's Greens" including a banjo solo from boss human being Fleck, to "Move Your Rug" amongst varying beats inward vi too 7 mixing upwardly the complicated too simplistic horns amongst a New Orleans beat. The outstanding, developed, dramatic, Middle Eastern flavored "L'Esperance" is introduced past times Coffin's resplendent, floating mbira, too then his tenor sax too flute foreshadowed Burbridge's desert-to-jungle flute solo. "Turiya" is a calm, serene, too beautiful tribute to the belatedly Alice Coltrane amongst Coffin on soprano sax too Burbridge on acoustic grand piano. The molasses tedious "Sweet Magnolias" offers a legitimate blues framework for Coffin's legato tenor, too a bonus track, "Emma Ya," is a soul deep, low-cal reggae tune. Trombonists Barry Green or Roy Agee are added for the funk-with-a twist rails "Tag" or the Stax trend soul popular cutting "One In, One Out" respectively, amongst Burbridge jammin' on the Hammond B-3 organ. Agee, trumpeter Rod McGaha, too sousaphonist Joe Murphy expand the horizons of "Move Your Rug." Also nowadays is electrical bass guitarist Felix Pastorius, 1 of the twin sons of the legendary Jaco Pastorius, too swain Flecktone, drummer Roy "Future Man" Wooten. The collective energy, squad work, too top-drawer powerfulness of Coffin, non to advert the multifariousness of the recording, is hard to deny. This powerfulness last the best essay notwithstanding for the Mu'tet, attain to bottom.
When saxophonist Jeff Coffin joined Béla Fleck & the Flecktones inward 1997, he righted their ship. That quartet had released 3 stellar CDs during 1990-1992, only when master copy keyboardist/harmonica thespian Howard Levy left, a void was created. The remaining trio of Fleck (banjo), Victor Wooten (bass) too Futureman (drum synthesizer) drifted earlier Coffin contributed to Grammy-winning comebacks from Outbound (2000) to The Hidden Land (2006).
Like all Flecktones, Coffin is amend suited inside that ace improvising quartet than on his own, notwithstanding 2 novel solo projects scream for out his versatility. Coffin’s latest self-titled Mu’tet release improves upon his handful of preceding solo CDs, mainly because of his surrounding, interactive cast. Arc of the Circle, amongst keyboardist Charlie Peacock, is its polar opposite, an improvisational blend of modern classical too ECM-like influences.
On Mutopia, Futureman (Roy Wooten, Victor’s brother) plays acoustic drums throughout, rather than his guitar-shaped electrical SynthAxe, too Fleck too Wooten look on 1 rails each. But it isn’t the Flecktones’ presence that makes Mutopia tick. Fleck’s cameo is on “Bubble Up,” a buoyant let on inward 7/8 fourth dimension that’s highlighted past times the Hammond organ lines of Kofi Burbridge (who adds pianoforte too flute elsewhere) too Coffin’s two-man horn department amongst trombonist Roy Agee. On the dreamy “Al’s Greens,” Wooten trades solos amongst primary bassist Felix Pastorius, the 26-year-old boy of belatedly bass groovy Jaco. Their exchanges are thence seamless that it’s hard to say them apart-no small-scale feat, considering Wooten’s musical athleticism.
Coffin plays tenor, alto too baritone saxes on the New Orleans-tinged pieces “One In, One Out” too “Move Your Rug.” The saxophonist, who also plays soprano, flute too percussion, must last given additional credit for the coming-out political party of Pastorius, the bravest immature instrumentalist since Ravi Coltrane took upwardly saxophone. Futureman’s dexterity on actual drums, too Burbridge’s all-purpose playing, add together to a CD worthy of Flecktones comparisons.
Arc of the Circle merits no such comparisons, only that’s past times design. Coffin too Peacock (who plays piano, synthesizer, Wurlitzer too toy piano) completely improvised the basic tracks earlier Marc Ribot (electric too resonator guitars), Tony Miracle (electronics too laptop computer) too invitee players contributed to the derangements. Peacock may last best known every bit a producer who’s covered a broad spectrum from Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe to Amy Grant. He uses both grand too toy pianoforte on the opening championship track, engaging Coffin’s tenor sax into a game of musical tag.
Ribot too drummer Derrek Phillips contribute heavily to the subsequent, nearly accessible “Rice Dice Mice,” only around of the remaining pieces purposely avoid having a rhythmic anchor. Phillips plays on 2 other abstract pieces, “Downstairs Room of You” too “Redux: Porky, Boots too Floyd.” The balance is generally freeform Peacock too Coffin (on tenor, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute too percussion). If your tastes run toward the Flecktones, Mutopia is the selection of these 2 releases; if y'all thin toward costless jazz too Charles Ives, it’s Arc of the Circle.
Track listing:
1 Tag 3:29
2 Al's Greens 7:25
3 Bubble Up 5:26
iv One In, One Out 6:06
v Turiya 10:14
6 L'Esperance 7:49
7 Sweet Magnolias 9:19
8 Move Your Rug 7:18
ix Emma Ya (Hidden Track)
Personnel:
Saxophone, Flute – Jeff Coffin
Drum – Roy Wooten
Electric Bass – Felix Pastorius
Piano, Organ, Keyboards, Flute – Kofi Burbridge
Guest РAlana Rocklin, Barry Green, Black Cat Sylvester, B̩la Fleck, Chris Walters (5), Doug Belote, Pat Bergeson, R. Scott Bryan, Rod McGaha, Roy Agee, Victor Wooten
EmoticonEmoticon