Off the Record: LeRoi Moore

A little over two weeks ago, the music world lost a true talent: LeRoi Moore, 46, saxophonist and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Moore's passing stemmed from serious injuries that he received during a June 30 ATV accident. Since the accident, Jeff Coffin, a close friend from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, has been filling in for Moore. Coffin's ability to manipulate the woodwinds are akin to Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello stepping into a jazz setting, but not even Coffin has been able to replicate Moore's grounded yet incredibly spacious surges - an important layer in the band's thick delivery.

I saw DMB less than a week before Moore's accident. With the departure of keyboardist Butch Taylor and the temporary addition of Tim Reynolds's extraterrestrial interpretation of Eddie Van Halen on electric guitar, Matthews and company seemed poised to break out of the comfort zone that has allowed many fans, myself included, to move on with their lives. I was impressed with the lineup, but for $75 a ticket and with the novelty quickly fading, I knew that this would be my last show.

Sadly, it took Moore's death for me to qualify DMB's role in finding my current musical identity. In my budding youth, DMB provided the perfect outlet for the typical stages of awkward adolescent growth. The sound was accessible and easy to latch on to, but there always seemed to be a sense of deeper meaning in the music. Dave Matthews himself is a worthy frontman, and when it comes down to it, he is the band's true intangible force. But underneath his often playful sentiments and vocal joyrides lies an even more impressive wall of sound. This is where Moore's musicianship was felt the most, and, in my opinion, has given the band its staying power. For Moore it was not about hitting a lot of notes, it was always about hitting the right notes. Hiding behind his shades, he patiently relied on subtle textures and took a back seat in the band's sound at times, which strengthened his well-placed attacks.

For a significant phase in my life, no other band existed. I am embarrassed to say that I even put the Beatles on the back burner. But for some reason, DMB was the right band at the right time. Unlike the Beatles, the Dave Matthews Band was happening right here and right now for me, and I had the ability to be a part of it.