Everyone knows a groove is a strong rhythmic beat. But do bands really and truly apply that to their playing while being virtuosic at the same time? Medeski, Martin and Wood, does, as they showed in their gig at First Avenue on Saturday night. The trio (formed in 1991 as a jazz/funk jam band) features keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Chris Wood and drummer, Billy Martin. These guys are truly a groove band and not too many of their grooves would seemingly have titles. They do, however, the casual listener would not know it. John Medeski can go from any of his given keyboards on the stage and make them sound incredible! He plays a Hammond B3 that has the front panel removed, exposing the mechanical parts inside it, a Wurlitzer electric piano, a Hohner Clavinet, a grand piano and a melodica controlled with a separate mouthpiece.
The band played grooves (songs) ranging from raucous and funky to completely ethereal. Medeski's keyboard antics were thoroughly matched by Billy Martin's drumming as he could do anything from spirited and thunderous fills to New Orleans swinging Clave rhythms and went as far as employing an African originated drum of some kind to bring a world music flavor. They could be very jazzy with a Latin vibe on one jam, on the next one, get completely spaced out on a psychedelic groove. Or, on another they'd bring pure, down and dirty, what I like to call, "uncut" funk. It was quite an experience and this writer was held in awe for the whole set because it could change so much and if you blinked or turned away from watching it (though the music could clearly be heard), you'd miss something big.
Talk about a band that can bring the audience into their music. Medeski, Martin and Wood does that. It's music. But more than that, it's an adventure in sonic exploration. Some people who casually listen to music might say, "ugh! I can't understand or tolerate one bit of this racket!" But, to people who are serious about it, the grooves are definitely there and that's why I call them a "groove" band. To learn more about their music and see a video of a full length performance to at least find out what they do with their ethereal grooves, go to:
www.mmw.net
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