Saxophonist Jeff Coffin of the Dave Matthews Band lives a musically dual life. He asks of fans that are not familiar with his other big gig, “been mutated lately?” This weekend at Blues Alley might just be the opportunity for that very thing.
Jeff Coffin & The Mu’tet are five serious musicians who have taken their name from the word “mutation,” a solitary statement that epitomizes Coffin’s notion that music must continue to change and mutate in order to grow.
| ONSTAGE |
| Jeff Coffin and The Mu’tet |
| » Where: Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW |
| » When: 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday |
| » Info: $25; 202-337-4141; bluesalley.com |
Put another way, Jeff Coffin is obsessed with what he calls “the culture of music.” His compositions — everyone an original — draws on influences from African and New Orleans genres, Indian, funk, jazz, folk, Gypsy, rock, fusion, Brazilian and…the beat goes on. Literally!
“People will hear a lot of different styles of music,” Coffin noted. “There will be a lot of high energy, all instrumentals with odd rhythms and with world music influences. Bill and I are using a lot of guitar pedals, sort of exploring the colors and textures of the music.”
Bill Fanning is the other horn player in the group, embellishing the music with his trumpet. Having performed with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Fanning stretches the boundaries of the trumpet by using guitar pedals while he still bases his technique on the great masters that have influenced him. Fanning and his “space trumpet” are featured on the group’s recent release, “Mu’tet- Live!”
Jeff Sipe is the brilliant drummer in the group who also worked with Coffin on “Bloom” and the “Duet” projects. Felix Pastorius has been anchoring the group since 2002, while Mike Seal’s technique on the guitar has been called “finger-picking guitar wizardry.”
“We’re in it for the music,” Coffin continued. “We’re a small operation, pushing hard and trying to make the absolute best music we can possibly make at any given time; it’s very real and very sincere.”
With Coffin so forthcoming, the question begs: How does he play two saxophones simultaneously?
“Well, I have a big mouth,” he laughed.
