Medeski Martin & Wood Albums Ranked

Medeski Martin & Wood (or MMW) is an American jazz fusion band formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums, and Chris Wood on bass. The band is influenced by musical traditions including funk and hip hop and is known for an unconventional style sometimes described as “Avant-groove”. MMW has found moderate mainstream success, often working with guitarist John Scofield and touring on the jam band circuit. Medeski Martin & Wood’s first performances together were at the Village Gate, a popular New York jazz club. Though they started out with a more-or-less straightforward piano-bass-drums jazz setup, the threesome expanded their sound with unusual configurations. Their first album, Notes from the Underground, is a record of their entirely-acoustic era, but Medeski soon added electric piano (outfitted with distortion pedals and other effects), and began switching back and forth among Hammond organ, Clavinet, Mellotron and other keyboards. Wood alternated between stand-up and bass guitar, stuck paper behind his strings for a “snare” effect and occasionally employed a drumstick as a slide. Here are all of Medeski Martin & Wood albums ranked.

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10. Zaebos: Book of Angels Volume 11

“Zaebos avoids easy solutions, which is another thing I usually value. Call it integrity if you like. These things wouldn`t matter if the music itself wasn`t good, but it is. The calmer “Chafriel” and “Asaliah” may be easier to like, but the wilder improvisations work equally well. Of the Book of Angels -records I own, Malphas is the only one I might slightly prefer to this.”

9. Uninvisible 

“On Uninvisible you’ll find a mix of Wood mainly on acoustic bass, Medeski on a bunch of different types of keyboards and very cool beats from Martin. The thing that’s very exciting about this release, is the use of several DJs, namely DJ Olive and DJ P Love. Mainly the DJ’s comes in with some Raff scratching, but this creates an exciting break in the rhythms of MMW. Especially on “Pappy Check”, DJ Olive goes bananas with the record player, which fits perfectly to the groove of MMW.”

8. Friday Afternoon In The Universe 

“Definitely the best offering from this space jazz trio. _Friday Afternoon In The Universe_ is an exploration, a journey into tonal rhythms and melody. I prefer albums that play all the way through without a skip or a dull moment and this album never fails. From the delicate intro “The Lover”, this album bebops along, traversing rock, funk, R&B, and jazz.”

7. Notes From The Underground 

“”Hermeto’s Daydream” pretty much invents Amon Tobin without resorting to electronic trickery. “Quernica” is a fascinating piece that’s also occasionally unlistenable. Between those two you’ve got a nice stretch of MMW’s least fusion-y and least funky material from their early days. It’s a shift from the expected that pays off nicely over repeated listens in a way that its follow ups don’t quite.”

6. Shack Man 

“I would have guessed this one to be released before _Friday Afternoon in the Universe_ as it’s a little bit more live sounding with the classic organ, drums, bass sound. Pretty nice listen all in all, and while I don’t hear that many standouts, it’s fine listening for just about any task.”

5. It’s A Jungle In Here 

“One of the first and, to date, still my favourite Medeski Martin and Wood album. This is jazz music for those of us who like to swing, who like to dance, who like to tap our collective toes, and who just want to be entertained without being insulted. This is just the kind of down-to-earth jazz album that plays itself into your heart.”

4. The Dropper 

“This is a great album for the open-minded individual. The Dropper covers everything from “acid jazz”, fusion, rock, some bluesy elements and a bit of electronic tinkering. The overall sound of the album as a whole is just awesome, very “full”. It make take a couple of listens for some,as this is not MMW’s most accessible album but it is my favorite.”

3. Radiolarians II

“Medeski, Martin and Wood, on their own. Keyboards, bass and drums of the best quality for your speculations without a chastity belt. They fool around with pop, but they stick to jazz or something that is supposed to be similar, warming up with the increase in beats, making their feet shake wherever we are, but without losing their composure.”

2. Combustication 

“One of MM&M’s darker ventures, songs range from subtle fusion grooves to unworldly instrumental breaks. Songs like Start-Stop slowly progress from familiar territory to minimalistic brush groove and eerie use of a vocal sample DJ scratched in and out. My favorite song on here, Church of Logic opens with the similar idea of the brush strokes and haunting “oooms” and chants before evolving into a catchy groove with a great organ melody.”

1. End Of The World Party 

“Medeski Martin & Wood are an alternative jazz trio whose sound has always been quite difficult to pin down, and 2004’s End Of The World Party only makes the job harder. Already fans themselves of shaking things up musically, they add a handful of other musicians who come into the fold and further complicate the scene with electric guitars, slide trumpets, and production effects.”