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ARC OF THE CIRCLE

ARC OF THE CIRCLE, the new duets recording by Flecktones saxophonist JEFF COFFIN and pianist CHARLIE PEACOCK isn't exactly like anything you've ever heard. The closest contemporary references for it are the musical flavors of Chick Corea/Bela Fleck, Marty Ehrlich, Dave Douglas, Uri Caine, and Marc Ribot (who contributes to the project). This is high-risk improvisational music first with production and arrangements coming second. Historically speaking, it bears some resemblance to early Dewey Redman/Keith Jarrett collaborations, with some aggressive Coltrane/McCoy type moments. There's also a little Stravinsky, Copland, Ives, and Hindemith influences peeking through. Coffin and Peacock also seem to be channeling the famous cartoon composers, like Philip A. Scheib, Carl Stalling, and Raymond Scott. Mix in some cut-up, glitch-pop electronics with Ornette/Don Cherry leap-frog intervals, and somehow, even with all the eclectic influences, the music remains bluesy and essentially American. All of this is a good thing, as these two major improvisers and friends create yet another surprising hybrid of jazz/not jazz, and stretch the boundaries of even the most current "beyond jazz" categories. Fellow musical alchemists, guitarist MARC RIBOT (John Zorn, Robert Plant/Alison) and DERREK PHILLIPS (Charlie Hunter Band) add their own quirks to the mix.

JEFF COFFIN
Jeff Coffin, a well-traveled saxophonist/composer, and two-time Grammy Award winning member of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, rejects all labels and categories other than "music" and "musician." Since 1997, Coffin has traveled the world with the Flecktones, performing with musicians of all walks. He has shared the stage and recording studio with such diverse artists as The Dave Matthews Band, Branford Marsalis, DJ Logic, McCoy Tyner, Chris Thile, Phish, Van Morrison, Stanton Moore, John Scofield, Marc Broussard, the Wailers and many more. Along the way, Coffin has absorbed an astounding range of influences. "Whether it be New Orleans Second Line, African music, Indian Ragas, folk songs, Alan Lomax field recordings, jazz, or funk," he says, "the spirit and breath of the music is what I take away from listening and playing."

CHARLIE PEACOCK
Grammy Award winning producer Charlie Peacock began his production/songwriting career while still a pop solo artist for A&M Records and later Island Records. Named by Billboard's Encyclopedia of Record Producers as one of the 500 most important record producers in music history, Charlie's award-winning songwriting and production credits include Switchfoot, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jon Foreman, Al Green, and Sixpence None The Richer. In 2005 Charlie released his first improvisational music project titled LOVE PRESS EX-CURIO. Charlie was joined by an all-star crew of heavyweight improvisers and jazz luminaries, including Ralph Alessi, Ravi Coltrane, Victor Wooten, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Joey Baron. Love Press Ex-Curio received unanimously positive reviews, peaked at 4 after highest debut on the CMJ Jazz Charts, ending with a year-end showing of Top 40 overall.