Marquette's Jazz Ensemble prepares to welcome Dave Matthews Band saxophonist Jeff Coffin for a free special engagement this Friday.
Coffin will perform with the Jazz Ensemble at 7 p.m. in the Varsity Theatre, 1324 W. Wisconsin Ave.
"I don't know if I have a favorite Dave Matthews song," Coffin said. "I like them all. There are some great ones on the new album."
Erik Janners, director of music for the university, said efforts to bring in a guest artist began about a year ago. He started talking with Cascio Interstate Music and Yamaha, who sponsors Coffin.
"I'm a Yamaha artist," said Coffin. "So it's really Yamaha that set it up."
Coffin, originally of Nashville, Tenn., said he spends much of his time on the road and has worked with universities across the country and in other countries such as Australia and Canada.
"When I'm off the road, I work with universities, giving master classes and sometimes playing in concerts," he said. "Sometimes I just hang with students."
Coffin said he has been playing the saxophone since he was in the fourth or fifth grade.
"I play all the saxophones, the flute and the clarinet," said Coffin, who also plays with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.
Janners said the Jazz Ensemble will serve as Coffin's backup band for a few pieces.
"We'll be the band behind him," he said.
The Jazz Ensemble has been working on the pieces for this concert since the semester started. Steven Idzikowski, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences who plays the trumpet in the band, said the rehearsals for this concert have been particularly intense.
"Normally, we meet for two hours a week and we have a couple of months to prepare for our concerts," Idzikowski said. "However, with this Jeff Coffin performance being so near the start of the semester, we have had a few three-hour rehearsals to get ready.
"The best part about it is that everyone in the ensemble realizes this and our last couple rehearsals have been amazing," he said.
Janners said his band has been working hard.
"We've had the music since January, and we're working to polish it up to a really high shine," he said.
Upon his arrival on campus, Coffin is planning on observing the day's music classes, followed by a rehearsal with the Jazz Ensemble. He will then offer a master class for the members of the Ensemble, which allows students an opportunity to learn from a professional musician.
"We are really looking forward to being able to play with and learn from such a talented professional," said Dan Harder, a College of Arts & Sciences sophomore who plays the trumpet in the Ensemble.