Sax News & Reviews

Thursday, December 30, 2004

A Review of Flecktones Saxman Jeff Coffin's new album "Bloom"

I got a prerelease copy of the album Mu'tet Bloom by Jeff Coffin. Mr. Coffin is the saxophonist for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. This album completely rocks! The level of musicianship and the shear number of great musicians working on this project were amazing. ( See bottom of page for personnel.) The album is very innovative and does two things rarely heard on saxophone albums: extensive use of the harmonizer with the saxophone, and turtable scratches.

The album starts of with a funky brass romp called Move Your Rug..processional (Blues for Otha). It made me think of New Orleans immediately. Its got great playing all around and a great tuba bass line. 8 out of 10 stars.

Better Do Your Thing is the next song on the album. It is also very funky and completely acoustic. It is somewhat reminiscent of a New Orleans song mixed with James Brown funk. Great horn and brass work with a fantastic saxophone solo. There is also a very nice organ backing. 8/10

Weird Beard is fast and funky! I danced as I listen to it. It rocks big time! It would be a great song to perform live. Fantastic guitar solo by Pat Bergeson. Really nice organ work by Tyler Wood. Very complicated saxophone lines. I loved it. 9.5/10

The next song The Evil Boweevil is my absolute favorite song on the album. The saxophone work is outstanding and the b3 organ rocks! Very nice guitar work as well. This song is going to be a classic. Jeff Coffin takes a beautiful saxophone solo.
10/10

My Dog Chunks is a slow, introspective piece with a lot of soul and great synthesizer work. 9/10

The Mad Hatter Rides Again has a killer intro and a great melody. Great playing by everyone involved. I personally love this kind of soulful music. It is a funk tune that changes meter very frequently and is incredibly well written. The saxophone solo by Jeff Coffin is unbelievable! He goes from the bottom of the horn all the way to the top. 10/10

Circle of Wills is a beautiful ballad that reminds me of a song on David Sanborn's album "Another Hand". It is gorgeous and he does some very innovative things with the saxophone (a kind of growl that I've never heard before.) Great subtlety in the playing. 9/10

The intro on Hatim by Bela Fleck is really nice! Kirk Whalum also guest stars on this song! Very intricate time signatures. The bass line is in 13/4!
This song is phenomenally beautiful with its double soprano sax line. It definitely has an Indian/African feel to it. Very innovative! 11/10

Bloom is the 8th song on the album and it is the most beautiful. It feautures a great choir in the background and has a haunting melody and a great banjo part done by Bela Fleck. It also has a very nice piano solo by Tyler Wood. 11/10

Old Jack Craw starts with a very bluesy guitar intro. It builds up to a great crescendo. Nice! 8/10

As Light Through Leaves has a beautiful innocence. Great melody. It starts with a gorgeous melody played on flute and mandolin. Bravo, very well written and well played! 9/10

Wobble is the last song on the album. It is taken at a nice leisurely pace and has a very nice guitar solo by Pat Bergeson. Nice Jeff Coffin sax solo. Nice finish to a great album. 8/10

In closing, this album is highly innovative. I have never heard a saxophone album like it. I anticipate that it will be one of the best saxophone albums of 2005. It won't be released until Feb. 1st. Overall the album was a 10 out of 10 stars. I highly recommend that you add it to your collection when it comes out.

Personnel: saxophones, flutes, percussion: Jeff Coffin
drums, percussion: Tom Giampietro
trombone: Roy Agee, Roland Barber
trumpet: Rod McGaha
guitar: Pat Bergeson
electric bass: Victor Wooten, Derek Philip Jones
drums: Jeff Sipe, Derico Watson
b3 organ: Tyler Wood, Johnny Neel
congas: Noa Ben-Amotz
turntables: DJ Logic
percussion: Futureman
saxophone: Rashaan Barber, Kirk Whalum
tuba: Joe Murphy
banjo: Bela Fleck
cello: Paul Brantley
choir: W.O. Smith Community Music School Choir
mandolin: Chris Thile

posted by Rex Djere at 2:11 PM
from www.saxtalk.com (go to the news section)

===========

Sigfrid Rydquist, WHERE Y'AT - New Orleans Monthly Entertainment Magazine

Jeff Coffin Muâ€™tet
Bloom (Compass)
Saxophonist Jeff Coffin has stepped out from his normal gig with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones to create an innovative and captivating album. The album starts off with a pair of New Orleans influenced grooving brass driven songs. â€œBetter Do Your Thingâ€ features Johnny Neel of Allman Brothers fame on the organ and a bumping tuba solo by Joe Murphy. Turntablist DJ Logic is enlisted to make several of the funky tunes, such as â€œThe Evil Boweevil,â€ even funkier. â€œOld Jack Crawâ€ is a blues ditty that perfectly matches dirty slide guitar with Coffin playing double saxophone parts. The title track, â€œBloom,â€ is a melodic, heartfelt song that features a childrenâ€™s choir, Bela Fleck on the banjo and pianist Tyler Wood. By shifting musical styles and engaging a diverse array of notable musicians to enhance his saxophone, Jeff Coffin has created an exceptional album.

http://www.whereyat.net/index.php?page=cdreviews.php#242

===========

Jeff Coffin Muâ€™tet
Bloom
Compass Records

By Dave Terpeny, KYND MUSIC, Sr. Editor (2.7.05)

When I started reviewing this album I thought maybe I could talk about how Jeff and I are both New England natives and how you canâ€™t â€œget theyah from heeahâ€ but that didnâ€™t pan out for obvious reasons. Then I thought maybe I could compare and contrast his world travels with Bela as a Flecktone and the styles of music he incorporates but then I would have just been ripping of his bio so that was a none starter. Of course there was the obvious metaphor with the title, Bloom and the photographs of flowers in the liner notes (all taken by Jeff himself) but that seemed a bit obvious so I shelved it. Finally I thought I could start off by talking about all of the ideas that I had about writing the review. And I did, as noted above. Then I forgot the point entirely and here we are: itâ€™s late, the CD is jazzing away in the background and I have come to one inescapable conclusion: I have no idea to review this album.

Itâ€™s not that I donâ€™t like it. In fact, I love it. I just canâ€™t find the words to explain why. Other reviewers have called it â€˜bold,â€™ â€˜intense,â€™ â€˜fresh,â€™ â€˜encompassing a world of musicâ€™ and rated it a â€˜ten out of tenâ€™ but those descriptions all seem inadequate to the task.

The best I can do is to say that it is a multi-faceted musical vision as only Jeff can present it.

In other words, if it were Buddhist it would be the 9th Auspicious Symbol. If it were Hindu it would be would be the fifth arm of Vishnu. If it were Christian (Iâ€™m going to offend some fundamentalists now) it would be another son of God and if it were Muslim it would be another crescent. Does that make any sense?

I guess my point is that it is a pretty all-encompassing musical journey, chock full of amazing symmetry, symbolism, sounds, and moods and it features guest musicians like Futureman, Bela Fleck, Vic Wooten, Jeff Sipe and Chris Thile among others.

Beyond that, I donâ€™t know. I have played it incessantly since I received it in the mail from Compass Records, in my car, in the office and at home. Everyone who has heard it has asked me about it in an awestruck way. A co-worker, who happens to be an accomplished jazz musician, walked up to me and said only â€œman, thatâ€™s sickâ€ before sitting down to hear more and, well, it has me rambling incoherently at 11:30 at night.

Such is the effect of Bloom. It is the work of a musical alchemist, an Albert Magnus with a saxophone and it will transform you into more than you ever were before hearing it.