Jeff Coffin - LOOK FOR WATER Johnny Vidacovich, Tony Dagradi, James Singleton, Helen Gillet The origins of this project have long and deep roots. I first spent considerable time in New Orleans in 2009 with Dave Matthews Band recording Big Whiskey & the Groo Grux King. It was during this time that I first met saxophonist Tony Dagradi, bassist James Singleton, cellist Helen Gillet, and the legendary drummer Johnny Vidacovich. Their names, music, and reputations were well known to me and I was very happy to make some music with them, albeit informally, while I was in town. Fast forward a couple years around Jazz Fest time in NOLA. Helen asked me to do an improv set with her at a club where she had a residency and I happily said yes. It was a great night and afterwards I asked if she would be interested in doing a recording together. We eventually found some available time and recorded in Nashville, TN at ITA Studios for a few days and came up with our duo project called Let It Shine. In 2021, Helen asked if I was interested in bringing our duet to a larger outdoor venue in NOLA called Broadside Theatre. I was. In order to have something different in the second set, I asked Johnny V to do some duets with me. He was into it and I decided that I wanted to add bass as some of the new material I was writing was a bit more suited for a trio. My first call was to the great spirit James Singleton and he also said yes. I felt since we had a trio why not make it a chordless (no piano or guitar) quartet?!? I called Tony Dagradi because I knew he would totally fit the situation and he was into it too! In addition, I asked Helen to play a few tunes during the 2nd set because she’s such a badass. So, long story kinda short, we played the gig and it was great and when it was over I asked if they all had any free time to record before I had to leave a few days later. I felt I needed to document this group if possible. Thankfully, they all had a brief window of time that following Saturday and we went into Preservation Hall Studio, which also happened to be where my wife and I were staying, and we recorded 9 tunes in 3 hours. The tunes are performed with various combinations of instruments from duo to trio to quartet to quintet. The only constant in each tune is Johnny and me because the concept started off as duet ideas and it seemed appropriate to keep that foundation throughout. Another thing I should mention is that Johnny, Tony, and James are all founding members of the NOLA super group Astral Project. They have been playing together for 30+ years and their communication seems almost telepathic to me. There is no substitute for familiarity and these musicians are definitely family to each other. Something that was unexpected, but not surprising, during the process of making this record was that Tony and I never once talked about articulation, phrasing, dynamics, etc…he is such a master of the saxophone and I feel our styles and tones really complement each other. James brings such a brilliant fire to everything he does and Johnny…well, Johnny is one of a kind and there aren’t words to truly describe him. Ornette Coleman once told me that he thought ideas reside in the same place as prayers do…I think that’s maybe where Johnny is from. In general, 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. Regarding the tunes… 01) The first tune TOY PIANO was just something that happened between takes when Johnny started to plunk out some melodies on this little red toy piano that was next to the drums. I think at the level Johnny has come to that everything he does is ripe with intention and it really cracked me up. 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. 02) GREEN LIGHT FOR BILLY DREWES is a kind of broken up melody that is quirky and angular that has some surprising rhythmic and melody turns but is also singable. The melody comes around again between every solo and it’s easy to lose your footing playing a tune like this but everyone balances so beautifully on it and it feels to me like it’s always right on the edge of falling apart, but it never does. The title comes from a story I heard about the great NYC saxophonist Billy Drewes. I heard he used to bring a green light to jam sessions. I have no idea if it’s true but I like the idea of it so I’m going with it. I love Billy’s playing and he’s such a unique musician and beautiful human. I hope he and I get to play this tune together someday! 03) NEW DAWN was the newest tune of the session as I wrote it the night before the recording at the piano in the studio. I was looking for a strong melody that the whole group could play that had a dynamic and strong presence. It reminds me a bit of what Charlie Haden was doing with the Liberation Orchestra at times. 04) LOOK FOR WATER was a phrase that came to me in a dream while I was in New Orleans and 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. 05) I chose SWEET MAGNOLIAS because of the beauty of the flowers of the magnolia tree and the connection to the South and New Orleans in particular. I once told a group of students playing it to think about the beautiful fragrance of the flower before playing the tune. IT’s all about the vibe. I asked James to play a bass solo but he insisted that Johnny play a drum solo instead and he wasn’t wrong to suggest it!! Johnny comes directly from the Source… 06) HALF A BATON was a play on the phrase semi-conductor, which I can’t remember if we were talking about computers or someone who didn’t really know much about conducting a band. Likely the latter rather than the former. It could have had something to do with my cueing the band or lack thereof during a tune as we were recording but I can’t remember so I’ll just say that’s what it was and make up something new the next time I talk about it. Feel free to make up your own story too. 07) I never met the genius percussionist Milford Graves, but I listened to him a great deal and was very inspired by what he did. I wrote MILFORD in homage to him after he passed away and I felt the duo format with Johnny was a great way to realize this tune. 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. 08) YUSEF was also written in homage to another giant musician - saxophonist, woodwinds specialist, musicologist, educator, composer, visual artist (and so much more), Yusef Lateef. After he passed I had the opportunity to purchase some of his instruments and I ended up with his main Mark VI tenor and his bass flute. I recorded myself playing the tenor for the first time and this tune basically fell out of the horn. I like to think he left a tune for me in the instrument. It’s always dedicated to his incredible spirit and the legacy he left behind. 09) The last tune we recorded was LUMINOSITY. It felt like the right title for the tune as it felt like everyone was glowing with the music coming through their light. 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. She’s a special musician and human and I think the world of her and her playing - she’s so open and plays like no one else I’ve heard. 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. I have to shout out to Ben Jaffe for being such a great friend and for housing me and Ryoko and for inviting us to record in such a beautiful and historic place. And big ups to Matt Aguiluz for a great job on engineering - with all of us in the same room! #oldschool Lastly, I am so honored to have recorded with these incredible musicians and to hear the way they create and mold and sculpt and let themselves be swayed and swirled. These are brilliant artists and they have my deepest love, respect, and gratitude. JC