{"id":5073,"date":"2022-09-10T01:06:31","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T06:06:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=5073"},"modified":"2022-09-10T01:37:04","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T06:37:04","slug":"sound-everywhere-coffin-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/sound-everywhere-coffin-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Sound is Everywhere: A Conversation with Jeff Coffin (Part Two)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In the second part of our conversation with Jeff Coffin (check out <a href=\"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/sound-everywhere-coffin-i\/\">part one here<\/a>) we dig deeper into the saxophonist&#8217;s album, <em>Between Dreaming and Joy<\/em> (Ear Up, 2022), including his use of an ice cream truck jingle, a bungee chord chair, and more. We also get into a theoretical discussion on the concept of music as well as three of its masters: Charles Lloyd, Hermeto Pascoal, and Ornette Coleman <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PostGenre: Titles of tracks on <em>Between Dreaming and Joy<\/em> reference crows, whales, and birds. Is there something about wildlife that spurs you creatively?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Jeff Coffin: Yeah, I am fascinated by the sounds of nature. Especially bird calls. Here in Nashville, we have mockingbirds and they learn such a wide variety of calls. And then when you go somewhere like South America, there is a whole new set of birds with their own calls. Each bird species has its unique voice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I am also fascinated by the sound of the wind. I have wind chimes all around our house. The chimes give such a natural sound that you can\u2019t fully replicate. There is something about wind currents and their random bursts that make them so beautiful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I write music, my choices are certainly informed by my listening to nature. Birds, bullfrogs, and crickets are all in different spaces of sound. There\u2019s a transparency to nature that allows it to not only exist but flourish. And animals often have to leave a big city because their frequencies are taken up by the noises around them. Many frequencies interfere with one another musically, and you end up with noise pollution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/track=1669449271\/album=1321210539\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: On possibly the opposite end of the spectrum, what was the inspiration behind capturing the sound of an ice cream truck jingle on the title track? It seems pretty removed from nature.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: Well, if you listen carefully, you may be able to hear that it was raining outside. I was about to do some recording, but the windows of my studio were open, and it was a really nice day. I heard the ice cream truck driving around the neighborhood and thought it would be an interesting, unusual, and unexpected thing to add to the record. So, I stuck a microphone in the studio window and recorded it. I love the randomness of it. I also greatly appreciate field recordings. In this case, it was not a very pristine sound. Because the truck was pretty far off in the distance, I needed to crank the microphone. But this also brought a lot more noise into the recording. Ultimately, I felt like adding the ice cream truck was sharing a part of my environment. It was sharing an intimate moment from where I exist every day. Much of the music on this recording was made within a five-foot radius of where I sit for eight to 10 hours a day when I&#8217;m home. When my windows are open, you know, I hear birds, the ice cream truck, helicopters, and planes, and I wanted to share that space with the listener.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: What about the bungee chair bass on \u201cWhen Birds Sing\u201d? It does not seem like something you would naturally hear in your environment.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: Right? The story behind that is that I was looking for a new chair for my studio. I went to The Container Store to look for things that would help me stay organized. At the store, I saw bungee cord chairs. I had never seen them before. I sat on one and thought it was pretty comfortable, so I bought it for my studio. But, being fairly curious, I noticed that the bungees make a little sound when you pluck them. I started to wonder if I could make some music out of its sound. So, I recorded it to a lick and then looped it. Then I put a clarinet melody over it. But I wanted a bit more presence on the track. So I asked my friend, Alana Rocklin, who plays bass with the band Sound Tribe Sector 9, to add to it. Alana is an amazing upright and electric player. She is also an incredible improviser. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/track=1054720664\/album=1321210539\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>And then Michael League, who most people probably know as the leader\/bassist of Snarky Puppy, was also added to the track. I previously worked with Michael in Peru on Susana Baca\u2019s <em>Palabras Urgente<\/em> (Real World, 2021). At the time, Michael was also doing some work with Moroccan frame drums. When I got this track together, I asked him if he wanted to do frame drums on it, and he agreed to perform for it. But I also wanted some Middle Eastern vocals. I had tried myself at it, which you can hear at the very beginning of the track, but when Michael saw the vocal line, he knew exactly who should sing it. He recommended Sarah Ariche. Michael said that Sarah was amazing. At the time, I was not thinking of a female voice for the track. But I reached out to her, and she sent me the most amazing tracks. Sarah also plays the African ngoni on the track. So, there is a lot of percussion in that tune but it is delicately balanced with the clarinet. What Sarah added vocally is astonishing. But that whole track started with just a routine trip to The Container Store.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: Something about using a chair to make music &#8211; especially since you are tuned into the avant-garde &#8211; seemed reminiscent of John Cage, in the sense that it raises questions of what constitutes music or sound.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: Certainly. What is sound? Where does it come from? What actually is it? Even Hermeto Pascoal, who is a big influence on me, believes that sound is everything. Sound is everywhere, and everything makes a sound. The only significant difference between those sounds and music is whether you want to use the sounds to create something. On one of the tracks on <em>Between Dreaming and Joy<\/em>, \u201cBird and Magic,\u201d I borrowed an idea from Hermeto and filled up coke bottles with different amounts of water to produce a particular chord as part of the harmony. I do have an interest in the avant-garde in the sense of how it has been formed. I find ways to integrate it into my music but only in a way that serves the music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On my desk, in front of me, I have a beautiful bell I obtained recently. It\u2019s the size of a silver dollar in width, maybe a little larger. I also have singing bowls and a whole corner of global percussion instruments that I\u2019ve collected over the years. I\u2019m always curious about what will make great music.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/track=1511545272\/album=1321210539\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: On the topic of instruments from different cultures, on \u201cRuthie\u201d you play the Hungarian t\u00e1rogat\u00f3. How did you start playing the instrument?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: It was Charles Lloyd, actually. Mine was made by a guy named J\u00f3zsef T\u00f3th, who is the premier t\u00e1rogat\u00f3 maker in the world, and I bought it from Charles. J\u00f3zsef made a few t\u00e1rogat\u00f3s for Charles. I was talking to Charles\u2019 wife, Dorothy [Darr] because I was thinking about buying one from J\u00f3zsef and knew he had made some for Charles. Dorothy told me that Charles had three of J\u00f3zsef\u2019s t\u00e1rogat\u00f3s and that she had been on him for a while to sell one of them, but he had never done anything about it. Charles offered to sell it to me if I was interested. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. It is a lovely, amazing instrument. It sounds like a cross between an English horn, a clarinet, and a soprano [sax]. There\u2019s also a tune on the next Dave Matthews Band record called \u201cMadman\u2019s Eyes\u201d where I play the t\u00e1rogat\u00f3, and I am very excited about it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: Do you feel a particular connection to Lloyd, given you both have a background in jazz but brought those ideas to a more popular sphere &#8211; Charles with The Beach Boys and you with the Dave Matthews Band?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: I do. I&#8217;ve gotten to know Charles and Dorothy over the last few years. Charles is 84 now and still out there playing at the highest level. I relate to him on many different levels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I didn&#8217;t fully discover his music until seventeen or eighteen years ago. I just wasn\u2019t ready for it until then. Charles has a deep spirit, and his music was just over my head. But when I got his music, I got it hard. It helped me pretty deeply. We had Charles sit in with us a few years ago with Dave, and it was extraordinary. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_krGMgxly904\"><div id=\"lyte_krGMgxly904\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/krGMgxly904\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/krGMgxly904\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/krGMgxly904\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Charles also has so many stories. He did the Chitlin Circuit in Memphis with Howlin&#8217; Wolf back in the day and has played with so many other people. It is inspiring that he played the flute at some of [Allen] Ginsberg\u2019s poetry readings. Then there is his work with The Beach Boys and Cannonball [Adderley]. And, of course, his quartet with Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, and Cecil McBee not only made the first jazz album to sell one million copies [<em>Forest Flower<\/em> (Atlantic, 1967)], but they even opened for Janis Joplin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Charles has always been an explorer, both musically and spiritually. I feel like I can relate to him in that particular way. I\u2019ve had some very beautiful conversations with him. He&#8217;s an amazing guy, and I respect him tremendously. Charles has an incredible power to expand people\u2019s consciousness through music but still be a very humble guy. He told me he once thought he could change the world with music but realized he was wrong. I told him that he did change the world with his music. Maybe not to the extent he thought he would, but his influence on musicians and even people who are not musicians is so profound.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: This is a little out of left field, but you wrote a children\u2019s book, <em>The Rabbit, The Carrott, the Crow, &amp; the Quarry<\/em> (self-published, 2020). Do you think the creativity needed to write the book comes from the same place as the creativity you use to write music?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: Actually, that book is just the first I\u2019ve published so far. I have four others that the illustrator, Augie Haas, and I are working on. They\u2019re already written but we are finishing up Augie\u2019s illustrations. Augie also comes from the jazz community; he is a wonderful trumpet player in New York who plays with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, among other things.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_MAsA9cqHthw\"><div id=\"lyte_MAsA9cqHthw\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MAsA9cqHthw\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/MAsA9cqHthw\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MAsA9cqHthw\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&nbsp;I do feel like both my ideas for writing a book and for writing music comes from the same place. I had the opportunity years ago to hang out with Ornette Coleman a few times. One of the things Ornette said to me was that he thought ideas resided in the same place as prayers. I thought that was such a beautiful way of thinking about creativity; that there is a sort of holiness to ideas. I think about creativity a lot. Sometimes when I write something, I don\u2019t know where it is coming from, I honestly don\u2019t.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Years ago, when I was in college, I played with a group called the Dallas Jazz Orchestra. We had the opportunity to play at [the] Montreux [Jazz Festival]. We also did a couple of gigs with Van Morrison. I had just gotten into writing music at the time and thought that working with Van Morrison was a great opportunity to learn more about composing. Being a little naive at the time, I went up to Van Morrison and asked him what his compositional process is like and how the music comes to him.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_-XwmkSJrWPI\"><div id=\"lyte_-XwmkSJrWPI\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/-XwmkSJrWPI\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-XwmkSJrWPI\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/-XwmkSJrWPI\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: And his response?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: I\u2019ll never forget it. He pointed and looked up, and told me that the ideas just come through him. He said he was just a conduit that the ideas poured through. It took me a long time to understand what he meant. But now I understand. Sometimes when I write, ideas come to me quickly, while others don\u2019t seem to come to me at all; the muse is just not in the room. I don\u2019t know how I put together ideas for music, it just happens. The same thing happens when I am drawing. I did the cover to <em>Between Dreaming and Joy<\/em> among others. I feel like the creative spirit &#8211; whether it manifests as literary writing, musical writing, or drawing, is all the same.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though I will say that inspiration, for me, seems to come in moments of silence. I&#8217;ve only ever written one tune while on the road since I&#8217;ve been with [Dave] Matthews. With the Flecktones, we used to write together and compose music from sound checks and the collaborative process. But now I need silence, so come up to my studio &#8211; above my garage- to compose. It&#8217;s very quiet up here and I can get that solitude I need to guide me to write.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not to sound overly dramatic, but I feel like I am experiencing holy moments when I write. I am not a religious person so I don\u2019t mean it in that sense. But the little moments when I compose feel very special and different from other moments in my life. There is something about the moments of creation, where you&#8217;re discovering something and pulling it and inviting it in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: As far as those moments being special, <a href=\"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/four-score-wadada-i\/\">Wadada Leo Smith has suggested <\/a>that people do not make music; it comes from something higher, and the artist is just delivering it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: Yeah, I think that idea of the artist being a conduit for the music goes back to the purity of intention. I think people see right through music that is not true to them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mean, I think that&#8217;s why someone like Kenny G has been so popular; he stands by his music. I don&#8217;t particularly like it, but he doesn&#8217;t care. And that reminds me of another Ornette quote that I love: \u201call listeners are equal in their opinions.\u201d That is one of the greatest things I have ever heard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_wY3hwEVCong\"><div id=\"lyte_wY3hwEVCong\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wY3hwEVCong\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wY3hwEVCong\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/wY3hwEVCong\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><strong>PG: A minute ago, you said that when touring with the Dave Matthews Band, you do not compose much because you don&#8217;t have the silence you need. Do you feel that your time with the Band has made you a stronger performer, even if it has not made you a stronger composer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>JC: Actually, I think my time with the Band has made me a better composer, as well. I&#8217;ve learned a lot about composition and phrasing from working with a singer night in and night out. I love Dave\u2019s melodies. He\u2019s a very melodic writer. And his bridges are quite extraordinary and very unusual. He is also very polyrhythmic in his use of rhythms. I&#8217;ve learned a lot from those elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ve also learned that virtuosity manifests itself in many different ways. Many people think of virtuosity as a technical thing, such as playing really clean tones. Dave is a virtuosic songwriter and guitarist in the sense that he&#8217;s playing things that take a certain profound proficiency. I&#8217;ve come to understand that there is virtuosity in using the various parts of the band to further your music. I&#8217;ve learned a tremendous amount from being in the Band.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, you spend so much energy on the road. You have to keep your energy at such a high level for performances but also want to go out and experience the city you are in. Those experiences of visiting the world end up informing my compositions. That\u2019s true whether I am visiting old friends or am in a city I\u2019ve never seen before. Actually, that is one of the things I have always tried to get my students to better understand. Yes, you must have technical proficiency and prowess. But if you haven&#8217;t experienced life, what message are you conveying with your music? If you spent your whole life in a practice room, that would be your musical story. And that is not an exciting story. Instead, to be a better artist, you must live life. All the great artists not only made music but lived a life that informed their music. That\u2019s certainly true of Miles [Davis], Louis Armstrong, or any other great storyteller. Yes, they put a lot of time into their instruments, but they also lived.<br \/><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Between Dreaming and Joy is now<\/strong><\/em><strong> available on Ear Up Records. It can be purchased on <a href=\"https:\/\/earuprecords.bandcamp.com\/album\/between-dreaming-and-joy\">Bandcamp.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>More Information on Jeff Coffin can be found on his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jeffcoffin.com\/\">website.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo credit: Rodrigo Simas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the second part of our conversation with Jeff Coffin (check out part one here) we dig deeper into the saxophonist&#8217;s album, Between Dreaming and Joy (Ear Up, 2022), including his use of an ice cream truck jingle, a bungee chord chair, and more. We also get into a theoretical discussion on the concept of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":39,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[582],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/jc-7-by-Rodrigo-Simas1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-1jP","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5052,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/sound-everywhere-coffin-i\/","url_meta":{"origin":5073,"position":0},"title":"Sound is Everywhere: A Conversation with Jeff Coffin (Part One)","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"September 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"As this author sits at home recovering, it is impossible not to consider the immense downsides of the coronavirus. Almost six and a half million people have died worldwide from the virus. In such times, it is often thrust upon the artist to lift the populace's spirits above their dire\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SFHxtcLF.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SFHxtcLF.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SFHxtcLF.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/SFHxtcLF.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5393,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/rob-shepherd-favorite-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":5073,"position":1},"title":"Rob Shepherd\u2019s Favorite Albums of 2022","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"December 21, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"My annual list is the only time each year I try to get more personal with my writing, speaking in the first person and laying out my thoughts on the year passed. While at the outset of 2022, I decided to feature more interviews on the site, I never intended\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Best of Lists&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Best of Lists","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/lists-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BeFunky-collage-9.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BeFunky-collage-9.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BeFunky-collage-9.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BeFunky-collage-9.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3658,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/challenge-bob-james-i\/","url_meta":{"origin":5073,"position":2},"title":"Up for the Challenge: A Conversation with Bob James (Part One)","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"January 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Across his almost six-decade career, Bob James' music has meant many things to different people. To those who have an interest in Creed Taylor's iconic CTI Records, the memorable label that incentivized artists to merge jazz with ideas from other genres, James is a familiar name. Between his own significant\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/f7WswBLc.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/f7WswBLc.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/f7WswBLc.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/f7WswBLc.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8228,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/solo-josh-johnson\/","url_meta":{"origin":5073,"position":3},"title":"Solo? :  A Conversation with Josh Johnson on &#8216;Unusual Object&#8217;","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"April 21, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Certain\u00a0instruments seem destined for solo explorations. Perhaps the best example would be the piano, where a single artist can easily use one hand to accompany the other. Less stereotypical, yet no less significant, are the long run of solo saxophone recordings. Many horn players over the years have found that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/josh_johnson_by_robbie_jeffers_1_1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/josh_johnson_by_robbie_jeffers_1_1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/josh_johnson_by_robbie_jeffers_1_1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/josh_johnson_by_robbie_jeffers_1_1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4638,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/activities-anna-butterss\/","url_meta":{"origin":5073,"position":4},"title":"Outside the Comfort Zone: A Conversation with Anna Butterss","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"June 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"On a debut album, many artists play it a little \u201csafe.\u201d Show your capability but save your boundary-pushing for a follow-up. Anna Butterss did not seem to get the memo. Activities (Colorfield, 2022) finds her expanding her scope well beyond not only the music for which her current fans may\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Anna_Butterss_by_Robbie_Jeffers_21.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Anna_Butterss_by_Robbie_Jeffers_21.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Anna_Butterss_by_Robbie_Jeffers_21.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Anna_Butterss_by_Robbie_Jeffers_21.jpg?fit=750%2C499&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10291,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/etaivtet-wayout-jeff-parker\/","url_meta":{"origin":5073,"position":5},"title":"Outside the Academy: A Conversation with Jeff Parker on the ETA IVtet","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"March 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From a tour of Central Park to trek through the rainforest to a voyage to outer space, the power of art to transport its audience to a location is well-documented. Equally important, however, is the role a particular place plays in shaping music itself. Could the rhythmic ingenuity of jazz\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1430-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1430-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1430-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1430-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5073"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5100,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073\/revisions\/5100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}