Medeski Martin & Wood
Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set
Indirecto Records
www.medeskimartinandwood.com
By George W. Harris

You’ve really got to give this trio credit; they’ve developed their own
unique style and sound, which is no easy feat in this day of
homogeneity. This multi-cd/dvd set puts together the triumvirate of
“Radiolarian” disc that MM&W have been put out the last year, as well
as a disc of remixes of a Decalogue of the tunes, a disc of the band in
concert along with three bonus tracks on another disc, and for no extra
charge, a dvd of the band delivering the goods in concert. Such a deal!

The three main discs (Radiolarains I, II, III) are astonishingly broad
in their breath, vision and depth, in that they have quite an
ecumenical approach to music. The basic premise of their tunes is to
create an underlying groove, be it New Orleans stride (“Professor
Nohari”), soulful struts (“Sweet Pea Dreams”), cabaret jazz (“Baby Let
Me Follow You Down”) or gospel stomps (“Satan Your Kingdom Must Come
Down”), and then seemingly grab whatever instrument seems closest and
have a go at it. There are tunes that evoke sounds of Africa, India,
and even Jimi Hendrix. The band is sort of a modern extension of Booker
T and the MGs, with a 21st century attitude of eclecticism. Much of the
atmosphere feels like a soundtrack in search of a movie, as on of “II”,
particularly the ambient “Junkyard.”

The remixes are quite interesting, as are the bonus tracks, while the
“Live” disc shows what the band can do on stage, and the adventures are
quite exciting. They have an honesty about themselves that connects
with the audience, something a lot of progressive jazzers need to
understand. They mix avant-garde with Crescent City boogie, and have no
qualms about it, making this music seemingly transcend time and place.
If you think you’ve heard it all, you haven’t until you’ve check out
these guys. A great retrospective, intro and look into the future.