Artist.......: Jeff Coffin Mu'tet
Album........: Mutopia
Label........: Compass Records
Genre........: Jazz
Catnr........: 74473 2
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Mar-05-2009
str.date.....: Jul-15-2009
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: www.jeffcoffin.com
track title time
01. Tag 03:30
02. Al's Greens 07:26
03. Bubble Up 05:26
04. One in, One Out 06:07
05. Turiya 10:15
06. L' Esperance 07:50
07. Sweet Magnolias 09:20
08. Move Your Rug 07:28
09. Emma Ya 05:37
Runtime 62:59 min
Size 89,9 MB
Release Notes:
Jeff Coffin's work with Bela Fleck's Flecktones has
only been somewhat reflective of his efforts as a
leader. The saxophonist/composer is quite able in a
more progressive, accessibly contemporary style to
express his personalized music, which is in many
ways substantive and cleverly rendered. While
recent efforts have veered toward a commercialized
approach, this CD with his Mu'tet bears distinct
elements of the Jazz Crusaders and the first bands
of Derek Trucks. No doubt the addition of a stout
horn section on a few selections, and collaboration
with the keyboardist and flute player Kofi
Burbridge ù well known for his work with the Trucks
band ù has a lot to do with how this group reacts
and responds. All in all, there's some very hip
music here, ranging from the 7/4 funk with dual
electric bass guitarists on "Al's Greens" including
a banjo solo from boss man Fleck, to "Move Your
Rug" with varying beats in six and seven mixing up
the complicated and simplistic horns with a New
Orleans beat. The outstanding, developed, dramatic,
Middle Eastern flavored "L'Esperance" is introduced
by Coffin's resplendent, floating mbira, then his
tenor sax and flute foreshadowed Burbridge's
desert-to-jungle flute solo. "Turiya" is a calm,
serene, and beautiful tribute to the late Alice
Coltrane with Coffin on soprano sax and Burbridge
on acoustic grand piano. The molasses slow "Sweet
Magnolias" offers a legitimate blues framework for
Coffin's legato tenor, and a bonus track, "Emma
Ya," is a soul deep, light reggae tune. Trombonists
Barry Green or Roy Agee are added for the
funk-with-a twist track "Tag" or the Stax style
soul pop cut "One In, One Out" respectively, with
Burbridge jammin' on the Hammond B-3 organ. Agee,
trumpeter Rod McGaha, and sousaphonist Joe Murphy
expand the horizons of "Move Your Rug." Also
present is electric bass guitarist Felix Pastorius,
one of the twin sons of the legendary Jaco
Pastorius, and fellow Flecktone, drummer Roy
"Future Man" Wooten. The collective energy, team
work, and top-drawer ability of Coffin, not to
mention the diversity of the recording, is hard to
deny. This might be the best effort yet for the
Mu'tet, top to bottom.