Jeff Coffin - LYDIALIEBMAN.COM

Only The Horizon
Release date: July 19, 2024
Label: Ear Up Records

Only The Horizon is the renowned saxophonist, composer, and educator Jeff Coffin's star-studded new album. This highly anticipated collection of original compositions showcases Coffin's extraordinary compositional vision and arranging prowess, blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary composition. Only The Horizon features Coffin on saxes, clarinets, flutes, and other assorted instruments alongside the West African group Yeli Ensemble, and includes an appearance by some legendary musicians from Charleston, SC who embrace the Gullah Geechee tradition. This confluence of tradition and innovation prominently features over 40 iconic musicians, including Carter Beauford, Victor Wooten, Béla Fleck, MonoNeon, Bill Evans, Keb’ Mo’, Nir Felder, Nate Smith, Keith Carlock, Derico Watson, Tony Hall, Viktor Krauss, Stefan Lessard, Alana Rocklin, Jay White, Jon Cowherd, Leo Genovese, Buddy Strong, Emmanuel Echem, Rod McGaha, Rashawn Ross, Ray Mason, Cory Wong, Ezra Kessler, Rory ‘R.A.P.' Ferreira, Roy ‘Futureman’ Wooten, and Ryoko Suzuki.

"In a conversation about art and music, someone said to me (Jeff), ‘There is only the horizon.’ I thought for a long time about what they meant and I came to realize it can reference the past as well as the future - which is what I have tried to do with this recording." Coffin’s vision for "Only The Horizon" encompasses the rich traditions of West African music and rhythms, represented by the Yeli Ensemble, and contemporary original music performed by some of the world's top artists.

Coffin meticulously selected the musicians for each track, resulting in an album of immense musical diversity and prowess. "There are too many highlights to list fully here but a few from my studio really stick out," Coffin recalls. "Having the great Daru Jones on drums and hearing his groove and pocket up close. Truly an awe-inspiring musician! To witness Keb’ Mo’ carve his guitar parts from thin air in a way I have never witnessed before was at once befuddling and stunning. To have my dear friend Mars Williams lay down a tenor sax solo in what was one of his last recordings was such a gift."

Working with the Yeli Ensemble and Gullah Geechee musicians added unique layers to the album. "To hear Yeli Ensemble bring their magic time and again and in particular, percussionist Ibro Dioubate, was a dream come true," Coffin says. "To witness what Matt White and Quentin Baxter brought from the Gullah Geechee culture in Charleston, SC, was amazing on every level - There is deep love, profound gratitude, and old and new friendships in these recordings." Coffin expresses.

The album begins with the bright funk-infused refrains of Coffin’s “Here We Go”. An infectious, driving, tight-pocketed groove is provided by the assembly of rhythmic masters making up the rhythm section - Victor Wooten, Daru Jones, Ibrahima Dioubate, and Leo Genovese. Coffin and Genovese drive this vehicle to outer space with stellar melodic lines that are both exploratory and lyrical. Dave Matthews Band-mate Rashawn Ross plays trumpet on the melody and Nashville legend Rod McGaha plays the trumpet solo at the end.

“Yesterday’s Dream” features Coffin on flute, bass flute, and electro-sax, as well as tenor and bari sax. Groove masters MonoNeon (bass) and Cory Wong (guitar) join in on the fun. Yeli Ensemble augments the track with rhythm and texture from four African percussion instruments, the djembe, the dundun, the kinkini, and the samban. Note: Jeff’s dad makes an appearance from the last voicemail he left Jeff before his passing in 2017. “Pharaoh Rise”, a tribute to the great Pharaoh Sanders, features Rory ‘R.A.P’ Ferreira on spoken word vocals. A repeated, mantric melody line glides over a grooving triple-meter - the percussion of the Yeli Ensemble and Daru Jones’ rhythmic comping forming an energy that is sure to bring the listener to their feet. This also features the deep bass groove of NOLA legend Tony Hall!

“A Hat For My Beard” features Coffin alongside his long-time collaborator Béla Fleck whose banjo arpeggiations sit tightly within the pocket created by Jones, bassist Jay White, and the Yeli Ensemble. Fleck and Coffin communicate on a level that can only be described as ethereal over the rhythm section’s driving backbeat.

“Bom Bom” features drummer Keith Carlock (Steely Dan), guitarist Nir Felder, and a stunning trades section with Coffin on flute and Mars Williams on tenor. This was likely Mars’ last recording session before he passed in late 2023. Leo Genovese adds a fantastic texture to the solo section with harmonic refrains with the unmistakable sound of the Fender Rhodes. Felder brings a tremendous amount of energy to the piece with a powerful, angular guitar solo. The West African rhythms of Yeli Ensemble really drive this tune.

The title track “Only the Horizon” features an entirely new rhythm section with the great pianist Jon Cowherd (Brian Blade), bassist Alana Rocklin (Sound Tribe Sector 9), and drummer Derico Watson (Victor Wooten Band). A driving Afro-Cuban rhythm propels the flute melody forward, underscored by the vivacious sound of the Yeli Ensemble. Coffin offers a transcendent solo on soprano saxophone.

“Picking Pockets” features Coffin alongside his Dave Matthews Band-mates Carter Beauford, Stefan Lessard, and Buddy Strong, as well as the great Bill Evans on soprano saxophone and Ibrahima Dioubate & Mohamed ‘Fassa’ Dioubate on West African percussion. The sparse melody played by Coffin and harmonized by Evans gives way to an open solo section, featuring the tremendous melodic facility of Strong and Coffin and eventually features Evans on the outro with a searing solo trading with Coffin on Flute and Strong on keys.

The album concludes with a beautiful composition called “Yeli Geechee” a soulful track featuring tremendous moments of interplay between Coffin with iconic guitarist Keb’ Mo’, legendary Nashville bassist Viktor Krauss, and drummer Nate Smith. This track also features Ibrahima Dioubate on percussion and musicians from the Gullah Geechee community including members of the multi-Grammy winning group Ranky Tanky, as well as Jeff’s wife Ryoko on harmonium!

Boasting a catalog of compositions that redefine genre, and the bounds of musical technicality, a roster of the world’s top musicians, and an infectiously positive spirit indicative of Coffin himself and all of his work - Only The Horizon cements Coffin’s stature as one of the preeminent musical minds of our time. The esteemed composer and bandleader offers, “I really feel Only The Horizon is the finest thing I've ever done, both because it is all original music, because of the contributions of all the great musicians (more than 40) who participated in it, and because of the spirit and inspiration that I feel everyone generated throughout the sessions."

Coffin envisions touring to promote Only The Horizon, and balancing his commitments with Dave Matthews Band. "These are compositions that I loved playing and certainly would enjoy doing some dates later in the year," he says. “It’s tricky to make it all work but I’ll do my best!”

Look For Water
Release date: May 5, 2023
Label: Ear Up Records

Look For Water is a celebration of wonder, hope and the vibrancy of New Orleans. Famed saxophonist Jeff Coffin presents this new recording fresh off the heels of his GRAMMY-nominated album Between Dreaming and Joy (2022). Demonstrating the breadth of Coffin’s compositional prowess, Look For Water is in some ways an inversion of Between Dreaming and Joy. Coffin trades the mammoth and mighty ensemble of his last release for paired-down recordings in various, small instrumentations which effectively emphasize the tremendous interplay between ensemble members. Drummer Johnny Vidacovich, bassist James Singleton, tenor saxophonist Tony Dagradi and cellist Helen Gillet lend their stellar musicianship to Coffin’s 22nd release as a leader.

On a fateful day in 2021, just as New Orleans was unlocking from the Covid – imposed shutdown, cellist Helen Gillet arranged for a performance with Coffin at a large outdoor venue in NOLA called the Broadside Theatre. To add something different to the second set, Coffin asked drummer Johnny Vidacovich to join him for some duets. Bassist James Singleton and tenor saxophonist Tony Dagradi felt like a natural extension of this personnel because of their work with Vidacovich as founding members of the New Orleans supergroup Astral Project. Coffin notes “They have been playing together for 40+ years and their communication seems almost telepathic to me. There is no substitute for familiarity and these musicians are definitely family to each other.”

This 2021 evening at the Broadside Theater acted as the impetus for an impromptu recording session a couple days later. During a three-hour time constraint imposed by the group’s availability – Coffin was able to capture lightning in a bottle. A love letter to New Orleans in the truest of forms – a celebration of the distinct melodicism that contributes to the continual vibrancy, vivacity and urgency of the music of New Orleans. At the core of the album is the deep rhythmic acuity and soulfulness emanating from Vidacovich’s drum-set. The drummer imbues these recorded selections with his deeply-rooted knowledge of African rhythms, another pillar of the music of New Orleans.

On Look For Water, Coffin captures our ear with an arresting urgency, a melodicism that exudes a calm confidence – melding playfulness, soulfulness and spirituality. Some of the compositions featured here are based on the composer’s experiences in the majestic city of New Orleans. The chordless ensemble format affords Coffin the freedom of exploration between multiple sonorities at any given moment – which the saxophonist utilizes to the fullest, weaving masterfully-crafted stories with his horn.

The album begins on a playful note with “Toy Piano”. The short piece features Vidacovich playing a small red toy piano that was set up next to his drum kit during the recording session. Coffin notes “His humor shines through on everything he does and I felt that his beautiful intention and humor were a great way to start off the recording.” The title track “Look For Water” is a phrase that came to Coffin in a dream while he was in New Orleans. Coffin indicates “to me it signifies the importance of looking for the things that nurture us. Without water, we don’t survive. We don’t flourish. We don’t exist. I feel this way, metaphorically, about music as well. I feel like I ‘look for water’ every time I make music…I think most, if not all, musicians are looking for a sense of bliss, connection, communication, relevance, and purpose.”

Featuring a gorgeous, thematic drum solo from Vidacovich, “Sweet Magnolias” evokes the beauty of the flowers of the magnolia tree that have such a strong connection to the south and to New Orleans in particular. The album continues with two Coffin originals, both dedicated to the memory of two jazz greats who contributed to his musical upbringing. “Milford”, written in homage to the late genius percussionist Milford Graves, features Coffin in a duo context alongside Vidacovich. Coffin notes “Johnny’s playing on this tune and the entire record is sublime and deeply resonant in every way. I like to think he and Milford are cut from a similar spiritual and musical cloth.” “Yusef” is written in honor of saxophone titan Yusef Lateef. The piece feels like a natural extension of what Lateef’s music embraced. Coffin purchased Lateef’s main Mark VI tenor after his passing and composed this piece on that very saxophone. Coffin says “I recorded myself playing the tenor for the first time and this tune basically fell out of the horn. I like to think Yusef left a tune for me in the instrument. It’s always dedicated to his incredible spirit and the legacy he left behind.”

The album concludes with “Luminosity” featuring cellist Helen Gillet. Coffin notes “We included Helen Gillet and her incredible cello playing on this because she is such a deep and powerful link to that whole community to me… Her playing on this tune is so gorgeous and ethereal and you can really hear her history with Johnny, James, and Tony in the way they play together.” On the release as a whole, Coffin remarks “it felt like the tunes were a new wave of music rising up like the dawn of a new day. Bright, colorful, hopeful, expanding, full of wonder, and I really love the way this project turned out. Everyone is magical on it.”

Between Dreaming and Joy
Release date: August 26, 2022
Label: Ear Up Records

Between Dreaming and Joy is the latest release from saxophonist, composer and educator Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band/Bela Fleck & the Flecktones). In the company of an eye-popping cast of musicians, the record is a breathtaking culmination of over two years in the studio. Calling upon its enigmatic, pandemic-induced origins, Coffin’s upcoming 10-track collection gathers unusual and new sounds for the saxophonist, speaking to the power of his boundless compositional impulse and eclectic sonic arrest.

Coffin is joined by a diverse, all-star group of musicians for his 21st release as a leader. With an impressive and vast lineup, each artist featured on Between Dreaming and Joy’s roster uniquely recorded for it in a different place – a rare circumstance for Coffin, who notes how recording each component felt like a jigsaw puzzle due to the album’s many pieces. The robust list of Coffin’s collaborators includes: Marcus King, Michael League, Robben Ford, Keith Carlock, Stefan Lessard, Nigel Hall, Kris Myers, DJ Logic, Bob Lanzetti, Jordan Person, Felix Pastorius, Chester Thompson, Buddy Strong, Bernardo Aguiar, Sarah Ariche, Jeff Babko, Mike Baggetta, Jennifer Hartswick, Vicente Archer, Chris Wood, Bill Fanning, Alana Rocklin, Ray Mason, Emmanuel Echem, Chris Walters, Richard Aspinwall, Derico Watson, David Rodgers, Derrek Phillips, Jonathan Wires and Tony Hall.

Between Dreaming And Joy, while anchored in spontaneity, captures Coffin’s inclination to transcend genre. The record is sustained by a variety of instrumentation and features 8 bassists, 6 drummers, 5 guitar players, 4 keyboardists, a set of Middle Eastern frame drums, Brazilian percussion, Moroccan vocals, a turntable artist, multiple horns, an ice cream truck, a Hungarian Tarogato and an African Ngoni.

Blending the fierce and calm, Coffin invites us into a harmonious realm he describes as a point “between dreaming and joy.” The album opens with the spirited fusion track “Vinnie the Crow”, where DJ Logic joins the lineup on turntables for an uplifting intro co-written by Coffin and Alex Clayton. Encapsulating the spirit of isolation, the title track is infused with whim, offering a reflective tone that at times evokes a blues rock anthem before segueing into a dreamlike, instrumental trance. Marcus King’s prolific offering on guitar here gives meaning to the word ‘joy,’ while Buddy Strong’s moody stroke of the B-3 organ complements the blissful rich harmonic music in the background.

Other compositions also pick up on Coffin’s playful curiosities, like “In the Belly Of The Whale,” which utilizes a cluster of Brazilian percussion instruments. The entire record is wrought by an atypical pairing of instruments — on the track “Ruthie,” a tribute to the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Kris Myers plays drums as well as a cowbell; while the album closer “Bird & Magic finds Coffin at one point playing a Coca-Cola bottle as a sound device.

Nearing the end of his expenditure, Coffin offers a trifecta saxophone performance on “Busting Out All Over,” taking listeners through an engrossing reverie with melodic interplay from David Rodgers on fender rhodes and B-3 organ. Exposing his dexterity with woodwinds, Coffin closes with a flute performance on the groove-infused “Bird & Magic,” a masterclass in nuance.

“I felt like I was alternating between dreaming and joy this entire time,” he shares. “These incredible spirits were all there with me as we found our way forward, together from different places.” Demonstrating his affinity for experimentation and profound commitment to the avant-garde, Jeff Coffin takes a tree-top, aerial view on Between Dreaming And Joy, finding commonality in the vibrations of everyday life with a fierce look onward, toward a new and enhanced vantage point.

More about JEFF COFFIN
Jeff Coffin is a globally celebrated saxophonist, composer, educator, and is a member of the legendary U.S. rock group, Dave Matthews Band. You may also know him from his 14 years, and 3 Grammy Awards, with the genre-defying Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. Jeff fronts numerous groups when not touring with DMB and has released 20+ solo CD’s on Ear Up Records.

Coffin is known for his musical passion, his deep commitment to music education, and his continued dedication to improvisational music.

Jeff is also a Yamaha Performing Artist & Clinician, a Boston Sax Shop Ambassador, teaches improvisation at the prestigious Vanderbilt University, authored numerous music books, authored a children’s book, produces, engineers, mixes, draws, and runs his own critically acclaimed record label, Ear Up Records.