John Medeski piano
Billy Martin drums, percussion
Chris Wood doublebass
Nels Cline guitar
Wide open: That’s the phrase John Medeski uses to describe his bandmates’ musical sensibilities, the attitude he seeks in himself, and the spirit of musical adventure that Medeski Martin & Wood have pursued for two decades.
The trio’s amalgam of jazz, funk, “avant-noise” and a million other musical currents and impulses is nearly impossible to classify, which is just how they like it. Medeski’s keyboard excursions, Chris Wood’s hard-charging bass lines and Billy Martin’s supple, danceable beats have come to resemble a single organism, moving gracefully between genre-defying compositions and expansive improvisation atop a relentless groove.
It makes perfect sense for jazz/funk trio Medeski Martin & Wood to team up with guitarist Nel Cline; all four musicians have dedicated themselves to exploration and experimentation in a variety of genres for decades. Medeski’s keyboard excursions, Chris Wood’s hard-charging bass lines and Billy Martin’s supple, danceable beats have come to resemble a single organism, moving gracefully between genre-defying compositions and expansive improvisation atop a relentless groove. Nels Cline, best known these days as the lead guitarist in the band Wilco, has received many accolades including Rolling Stone anointing him as both one of 20 “new guitar gods” and one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. Together the intrepid explorers are embarking on a new phase in their relentless pursuit of magic in music.
