Review: MMW @ Boulder Theater

Wood and drummer Billy Martin toyed back and forth with some ambient noise before John Medeski dropped into the organic melody of Bubblehouse amidst a mass of cheers in the room. The trio moved quickly through it, gaining fast intensity before falling into a thunderous groove. It was a simple jump in pace over to Hey He Hi Ho, led by Martin’s can’t-stop-won’t-stop drumming. Wood switched to upright bass for The Lover and let his fingers dance up and down the neck while Medeski smacked his keys like he was making a hamburger, letting the tune dip into ambience before Martin led the way into Start-Stop.

A short jam led into Wayne Shorter’s Orbits, which MMW recorded for their first album. It is about as close to classic jazz as you’ll hear the trio get: Medeski spent most of his time on the grand piano instead of the organ while Martin and Wood kept the rhythm section mostly in sync, with each of them taking some liberties throughout. From there, they jumped a full 19 years ahead with Amber Gris from their 2009 release Radiolarians II, a tune that creeps up on you while you’re showering in black and white. The set ended with what is perhaps the most quintessential MMW tune, Chubb Sub – a funky organ and a bass solo, all the while kept steady by the unpredictability of Martin’s drum beats.

The first set was practically unbeatable – a constant groove – but it was the second set that, on a musical level, was truly impressive. If you aren’t familiar with MMW, you might imagine a fully improvised set to lose you at times. Of course, improvised ambience often leads to the best musical moments you would never have heard before, but it’s definitely possible for those ambient times to last too long. Not so for this trio.

From note one, as Wood’s bass rounded out the air, his band mates hopped on and together they never stopped running. For the entire hour-long shack party, the only time a groove got lost was when Wood took a second to switch from electric to upright, or when Martin slowed his speed for a bit of tension. Medeski’s solo on melodica might have been a little quiet, but it came far from lacking in energy and captivated the audience from the second he picked up the instrument, it’s high notes cutting through the air like warm butter. When they walked off stage at only a little after midnight, the show seemed like it could have lasted a while longer. But, it was not meant to be.

The way this group listens to each other and follows each note is not only unique, it is entirely their own sound. They jump on each transition and keep hopping. After twenty years you might think that a band would lose interest in the music, at least a little, but that is far from the case for these guys. They have continued to progress as musicians, and show it in every note. Even their improvised set, which certainly touched on previously played bass lines and drum fills, had the focus of a newly formed group.

Set 1: Bubblehouse, Hey-Hee-Hi-Ho, The Lover, Start-Stop, Short Jam, Orbits, Amber Gris, Bass Solo > Chubb Sub

Set 2: Shack Party (Improvised)

Encore: Uninvisible

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