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Monday, March 7, 2011
Photos / News / Live Reviews Live review: Jeff Coffin's Mu'Tet
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 10:50 AM
Mu'Tet w/ Jazz is Led
Double Door Inn
March 3, 2011
The Deal: Saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) brings out the Mu'Tet — Kofi Burbridge on keyboards, Bill Fanning on trumpet, Felix Pastorius on bass and Jeff Sipe on drums — for packed Double Door Inn show.
The Good: The Double Door Inn had a solid crowd early in the night for a set by Charlotte's Jazz is Led — an instrumental quartet that covers Led Zeppelin songs in a jazz-infused style. The band is entertaining in its familiarity while still rolling through jams and offering moments to shine as is often the case with jazz.
The Mu'Tet hit the stage and the crowd was clearly ready for every note the group would hit. Each member performs with ease and offers clear performance that only comes through years of experience. Led by Coffin, the group performed a number of its songs — "The Evil Bowevel," "Tag," "Move Your Rug" — that lasted what seemed like an eternity but never got boring or dragged on.
The group would offer a chorus of sorts before members were given a chance to shine in their own way before slowly bringing it back to the main riff. Pastorius, son of Jaco, carried the low end while Sipe flitted away on the drums with ease, Burbridge hovered over the ivories and found time to play flute, Fanning — after a bit of audio trouble — shined on the trumpet and Coffin rocked and grooved his way via the sax.
To some, the idea of rock fused with jazz in instrumental form for a long night of music and jamming might sound monotonous, but the Mu'Tet defy expectations. The group's talent and abilities make each performer worthy of watching. How does Pastorius get those sounds and hit strings so fast? How does Sipe create those rhythms? How do Coffin and Fanning make it look so easy? Burbridge adds so much with the keys and looks like he's just sitting back and relaxing...
The Bad: There's a new trend in Charlotte where bands are constantly soaked in red lighting on stage. Not only does it burn the retnas after a while, but it makes for horrible photos, too.
The Verdict: Fine craftsmanship.
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