Medeski Martin & Wood

On Wednesday, January 18th, I went to experience an amazing trio by the names of Medeski, Martin and Wood at Le Poisson Rouge in lower Manhattan. 

John Medeski is the keyboardist. He plays an array of keys including a Hammond organ, Clavinet and a mellotron along with distortion pedals and other effects. Chris Wood alternates between stand up bass and bass guitar. On drums is Billy Martin. He bangs out wild funk, hip hop, brazilian and african beats on an assortment of percussion instruments. Each member's passion for music is made obvious through the display of their incredible skill set.

These three create such a unique sound. It's an experimental/improv music show. Their genre is hard to classify. It's a little bit of jazz, funk, dance, rock, and many other styles all at once. They played two blissful sets with a short break in between in a space that boasts a capacity for 700, but felt far more intimate. The whole room could not help but move to the groovy tones vibrating throughout the space. You could feel everyone's excitement and anticipation as to what the band would bust into next. It's great to watch them perform live because you can see that they are completely playing off one another and are not entirely sure where each song will take them. After thirty years of playing with each other, these three men know how to take your idea of music, turn it upside down and melt your brain a little in the sweetest way possible. Be prepared to jam out in a beautiful and unexpected way.