Show Review

Prodigal jazz-funk trio Medeski, Martin &Wood were the consummation of all things experimental this Halloween in midtown’s prestigious Hammerstein Ballroom. One seamless two and a half hour set spiraled into a runaway maelstrom of post-apocalyptic jazz improvisation before a mixed, capacity, crowd of costumed fans. It was not your typical folding theatre chair sort of exhibition.

They’ve been playing Halloween in the city for the past five years, alternating venues between the Beacon Theater and the Hammerstein, a picturesque Victorian theatre lined with three tiers of private booths and balcony seating around a wide-open floor.

The show is a rare local treat for the boys in the city where they grew up, studied and flourished musically. From totally independent roots in the local jazz community, they made their splash throughout the 1990s in local clubs like the Wetlands, Village Gate, and the Knitting Factory, with friends like John Scofield, John Zorn and Yo-Yo-Ma.

Nowadays, a constant international touring schedule lands them few engagements in the city. Their current tour is billed everywhere from New England, to Spain, to Hokkaido, Japan, where they will open a three night New Year's run ending in Tokyo.

There are certain things you can reasonably expect when these guys are running the show - an extended drum solo at set break, for instance, with xylophone, or no set-break. Bassist Chris Wood hunched over a cello like a lumberjack plucking hectic lead guitar riffs on the high end, and dropping huge bass bombs at the top of the neck.

Expect about 45 minutes to 55 minutes at peak, hard bop potential, within a warm, relaxing sea of music, with keyboardist John Medeski, donning purple troll wig and plastic arms of Shiva over his back, holding down independent melodies with each hand behind an arsenal of synthesizers fit for the war room at the pentagon. Expect the Hammond B3 Organ, and Clavinet, right hand, left respectively. The Wurltizer behind; ARP String Ensemble, Mellotron, Yamaha CS Synth, all expanding and retracting around him on their wheels as he jumps from one to the other weaving a rich tapestry of groove samples and leads, with chorus, vibrato and pitch bending.

All these things they delivered that night. But what really makes their shows special are the things you can’t expect, like putting a new spin on an old theme, or some really amazing drum and bass connection, or the uncharacteristically nice Halloween weather.

How about the theatrical acrobatics of The XYandZ Project, whirling through the air on high wires above the band, telling a story of zombie love between three dancing spirits? How about a parading cavalcade of costumed clowns with instruments, recruited from New York’s 32nd annual Village Halloween Parade, doing a circuit across the stage and around the theatre before the encore?

Then, of course, add Brazilian percussionist Cyro Batista, long time friend of the band. From humble roots over twenty years ago as a street performer in the city subway, Mr. Baptista has lent his rare grasp of rhythmic composition to some of the city’s most prominent patrons of the percussive arts. His run in the New York jazz community has largely paralleled the band’s.

Increasingly these days they’ve conspired, Mr. Baptista seamlessly blending agogo bells and whistles, literally - just about anything that makes noise when you hit it - to the already eclectic repertoire of drummer Billy Martin. Tribal shakers and tambourines of all kinds, largely homemade, rang throughout as he scuffled for them backstage in what seemed like gym bags. A particularly strange concoction of his, featured prominently, was an arrangement of Australian didgeridoos cut in ascending lengths with a mellow earthy tone when played with sticks.

He threw in a call and response section with Billy, a thundering monument of jazz battery during the 15 minute drum spot. But mostly he lent his rare gift as a percussive composer, leading the band by mixing his beats and making some big decisions on the fly, like a traditional band director.

The show featured a mixed bag of new material, Jazz standards like Art Blakey’s “Afrique,” and signature favorites like “Partido Alto,” and “Bubblehouse.” But to say they played any one song over another is a slight misalignment of the facts. In the spirit of free jazz their ‘songs’ simply lay the groundwork for particular jams, recognizable in terms of the particular hook and movement that gives each it’s distinctive character. Every night’s a whole other monster.

"End of the World Party," their most recent Blue Note recording, and by far their most digitally advanced album to date, has laid the groundwork for many a tranced-out jam over the past year. The band’s history has been a constant evolution of their production quality culminating each night as they deliver it on stage. These guys are the hottest underground jazz act since Sun Ra, and nobody knows it who doesn't go to their shows.