Jeff Coffin / Derek Brown: Symbiosis

Rhyming dragons and synergetic saxophilia, in seven tracks. Two monsters of the single reed doing the sway. Oh, wait, what about the rhythm section? They brought their own! This duo has the intuitive chemistry that comes only from epochs of experience playing together. Jeff Coffin on tenor saxophone, bass flute, bass clarinet, and clarinet; one finishes the other's groove. Derek Brown on the tenor saxophone, baritone baritone, saxophone percussion (that's the slap-beat thing he is famous for), and of course the wind sounds. Each track delivers lots of complexity, tricky syncopation, cadence and weaving. Most of the compositions are Coffin/Brown, with the exception of "Up Jump" by Coffin alone. Highligth tracks are "The Belly Crawl,'' because the two components do a sly, slow, wailing dance, and "The Mess Around," which brings a swirling response team pulse that is ticklish.

Altogether a sax dragon's heliport to outer heavenly-ville, showing the joy of the instrument's sound. There is room at the dragon's table for everyone, something the beginning band class can study and take home, and something for the advanced hipsters out there, you dig?