| Fresh
off an extended run of acoustic shows at Tonic- an intimate modern music
venue in Manhattan- Medeski Martin and Wood, along with recently regular
tour mate DJ Logic, kicked off their current national tour at Seattle’s
Moore Theater. As the majority of their upcoming dates are billed, this
first tour stop began with an all acoustic set. While very often Medeski
Martin and Wood start with song and deconstruct it, this first acoustic
set began with a minimalist ambient sound. John Medeski struck sporadic
groupings of ivories over Chris Wood’s staccato and initially shrill bass
bowing while Billy Martin played various pieces of his galaxy of hand percussion
instruments, eventually adding in drums. Erratic and dissonant, the musical
search for cohesion meandered soon finding a common rhythm around Martin’s
subtle polyrhythmic beat. Their music wandered in and out of a traditional
jazz rhythm with each musician leading the others on various tangents. At
times during this first set the music fell far beyond the bounds of reason,
but reason has little to do with the exploratory nature of Medeski Martin
and Wood’s improvisation. |
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Well into
the first set, the trio picked up the pace- led by the thick driving rhythm
of Chris Wood’s plucking on his upright bass- lending to a musical feel
that bordered on swing. The true highlight of the first set came toward
it’s end with a restless jam gave way to a round of solos. Billy Martin’s
blistering solo stunned the crowd and was the buzz on the lips of most show
goers during the set break. The actual break was quite short as DJ Logic
entered the empty stage and began a spinning as fans gathered, then packed
in at the front of the stage. Logic started softly and built a crescendo
of an infectious groove- to the delight of the now dancing fans- creating
an instant party atmosphere. Logic stayed with each record- with intermittent
flurries of masterful scratching- long enough to keep the flow smooth changing
things up often enough to keep any beat from becoming stale. By the time
Medeski Martin and Wood returned to the stage DJ Logic had put his spin
on the night with a solid injection of funk. It was on this funky note that
MMW joined Logic, promptly laying into “Start Stop”, the third track from
Combustication- MMW’s most recent release which, of course, DJ Logic spun
on. |
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| The
second (electric) set was dominated by material from this latest release,
though it isn’t often that a live version of a Medeski Martin and Wood track
resembles the CD version for long. After only a taste of “Start Stop” the
now quartet began removing layers and improvising heavily only to jump back
into the groove. Again the music slowed and became no more than musical
pulses- incomplete synapses. Soon Chris Wood’s bassline piped in and became
the intro to “Sugar Craft”- the opening track of Combustication which was
co-written by DJ Logic. This was one of the highlights of the electric set
as it is on the CD. It was here that DJ Logic’s impressive scratching and
rhythmic talents shined in often subtle sometimes dominating flurries. DJ
Logic played no small part in the free flowing energy maintained in the
second set. The lengthy and smooth set ended, it seemed, in mere moments.
DJ Logic has added an entirely new creative element to Medeski Martin and
Wood’s live performances which is no simple achievement as the trio is one
of the most innovative musical groups of our time. |
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