BEMIDJI, Minn. (March 30, 2011) — Three-time Grammy-award winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin will close out the 2010-11 schedule of the Bemidji Concert Series on Friday, April 15.

Coffin will perform with his ensemble, The Mu’tet, in a program that will also feature the jazz bands from Bemidji State University and Bemidji High School, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Bemidji High School Auditorium.

Coffin, who has won Grammy awards as a member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones since 1997 and the Dave Matthews Band since 2008, has traveled the world and performed with musicians of all walks. Along the way, he has absorbed a diverse range of influences.

“Whether it be New Orleans Second Line, African music, Indian Ragas, folk songs, Alan Lomax field recordings, jazz or funk, the spirit and breath of the music is what I take away from listening and playing,” he said. :It’s what decides for me whether I like it or not.”

Known for sometimes playing alto and tenor sax simultaneously, Coffin seeks out the extraordinary in his saxophone sound and in his technique of improvisation. Reaching for the unique is something he makes an integral part of both his playing and teaching. In addition to the Flecktones, Coffin also leads his own group, The Mu’tet. The ensemble takes its name from the word “mutation,” stressing his belief that music is constantly changing and mutating.

Coffin has played on hundreds of recordings and has performed around the world including a 2007 performance at Carnegie Hall. He also has presented clinics from Farmington, Maine to Perth, Australia and has been a Yamaha and Vandoren Performing Artist/Clinician since 2000.

While in Bemidji, Coffin will rehearse and work with students at Bemidji High School and Bemidji State University.

The Bemidji Concert Series, now in its ninth season, is presented by Bemidji State University’s Department of Music and attracts world-class musicians for performances as a service to the Bemidji community and the northern Minnesota region.

Single-event tickets are available for $20, or $5 for children under 18 and patrons with a valid student ID. Tickets are available at Bemidji State’s Department of Music office, second floor, Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex, or Lueken’s Village Foods North in Bemidji. Tickets, if available, will be sold at the door prior to each show.

History and sponsorship
The Bemidji Concert Series began eight years ago with the goal of making Bemidji the cultural center for northern Minnesota and providing the Bemidji region with music that could not commonly be heard without traveling to the Twin Cities. The series is supported by sponsorships from the Bemidji State University Department of Music, Bemidji Pioneer, the Villa Calma Bed and Breakfast, Paul Bunyan Telephone and the BSU Student Activity Allocation Committee.

For more information, please call the Department of Music at (218) 755-2915 or visit www.bemidjiconcertseries.com.