Review: MMW @ Boulder Theater
Medeski, Martin & Wood @ Boulder Theater, March 4
Although it seems like it’s happening more and more, it certainly isn’t every day that a band turns 20. Maybe it’s that we’re getting old, or maybe our music taste is falling behind. Or, maybe (hopefully) the music we listen to has such longevity because the musicians themselves enjoy playing together so much that they couldn’t possibly leave it behind.
[All photos by Matthew Speck]
For Medeski, Martin & Wood at least, it is most definitely the latter, and it’s no fluke they’re still around. Since 1991, MMW has been putting out disc after solid disc of exciting music that has ranged from the avant-garde of Tonic and The Dropper to the experimental electricity of Combustication, collaborations with musical legends like John Scofield and Marshall Allen, and even a kids’ album. And, they continue to maintain their relevancy even today: their track Hey He Hi Ho was chosen for the upcoming release JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology, due out March 29. So, in honor of this 20th anniversary, the trio has taken to the road for a ten-date tour through the month of March.
After spending some time in the Rocky Mountains with shows in Beaver Creek and Aspen, MMW came out for a show just outside those mountains in Boulder, the hometown of bassist Chris Wood. The story is this: the band is taking requests ahead of time, and devising their opening sets based on what the fans want to hear. The second set of each night will honor an old MMW tradition: the shack party, entirely improvised. Even more than usual, there was an added sense of excitement to the pre-show jitters.
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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
i had a great time at the show as well. great recap!