Medeski Martin & Wood: making a documentary

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood have been busy recordng new music and filming a documentary about the band. From drummer Billy Martin's newsletter:

John Medeski, Chris Wood and I have been back in the studio. Just the three of us. Our 25th anniversary is behind us with a documentary film in the making. The film will focus on our process: how we work, play, and live together. How we improvise, create and record new music. Our goal was to record at a remote location. That location was in the Catskill mountains. This was not the original location. We were just about to jump on a plane to Mexico City, then jump in a van to Tepoztlán. Everything was in place to record with the help of so many dear friends in Mexico and then ... the earthquake put everything in chaos. [Please support the earthquake victims in Mexico] The producers in Mexico and the US agreed: the chance of getting our job done at that time was not good and we would waste time and resources. So, we quickly moved to a plan B which was upstate New York at Allaire Studios (where we had recorded 'Let's Go Everywhere'). It was a mixed blessing. In the end, this was an incredible experience, documented and in the works for release next year. Look out for a film festival premier and performance spring 2018.

Medeski Martin & Wood: tour dates - playing JazzFest in New Orleans w/ Nels Cline

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood have announced a 3-night stand in their hometown @ Le Poisson Rouge. After supporting Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at Red Rocks, they will team again with experimental guitarist Nels Cline (Wilco) for a one-off gig during JazzFest in New Orleans. This will be the first collaboratieve show after the acclaimed tour in 2014 to promote the Woodstock Sessions (Vol. 2) album.

Medeski Martin & Wood: 25th anniversary shows in Cleveland

After playing in their hometown New York to celebrate their 25th anniversary avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood will travel to Cleveland for two more special shows at the On Air Studio to November:

Medeski Martin & Wood announce two shows in Cleveland at On Air Studio on Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19. They’ll be joined each night by some very special guests and lifelong collaborators: guitarist Marc Ribot, trumpeter Steven Bernstein, percussionist Cyro Baptista and turntablists DJ Logic and DJ Olive.

» mmw.net

Medeski Martin & Wood: 25th anniversary shows in NYC

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood will be celebrating their 25th anniversary with two shows in New York in October:

Celebrating 25 years together in 2016, Medeski Martin & Wood will perform two very special shows at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on Wednesday, October 19 and Thursday, October 20. The legendary trio, featuring keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin, will announce special guests for each evening shortly.

» mmw.net

Medeski Martin & Wood w/ Alarm Will Sound: live album coming soon

The two shows that NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood performed with NY 20-piece orchestra Alarm Will Sound were recorded. A live album will be released later this year.

» mmw.net
» alarmwillsound.com

Medeski Martin & Wood w/ Alarm Will Sound: two shows in February

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood won't be on road much in 2015. A collaboration with Rochester, NY 20-piece orchestra Alarm Will Sound might be interesting:

Medeski Martin & Wood are partnering with Alarm Will Sound as part of Alarm System - a program that “brings musical artists from a variety of backgrounds together to create new work.” These brand-new collaborative works will debuted at two special performances: February 5 in Denver at Newman Center for the Performing Arts and February 6 in Boulder at Macky Auditorium, University of Colorado Boulder.

Besides these two shows they will be at Bonnaroo in June with guitarist John Scofield.

» mmw.net
» alarmwillsound.com

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood: "Juicy Lucy" video

Watch the new Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood video for Juicy Lucy, a track their new album Juice. The clip was directed by Billy Martin, starring his mother (and Radio City Rockette). The avant-jazz NYC trio and guitarist John Scofield hit the road in November.

European dates:

• 11/06 Ghent, Belgium @ Bijloke
• 11/07 Heusden-Zolder, Belgium @ MUZE
• 11/08 Zagreb, Croatia @ ZKM
• 11/09 Prague, Czech Republic @ Lucerna Music Bar
• 11/11 Las Palmas, Spain @ Teatro Perez Galdos
• 11/12 Madrid, Spain @ Centro Cultural Conde Duque Madrid
• 11/13 Padova, Italy @ Padova Jazz Festival
• 11/14 Ingolstadt, Germany @ Audi Forum
• 11/15 Tarnow, Poland @ Centrum Sztuki Moscice
• 11/17 Budapest, Hungary @ Palace of Arts - Budapest
• 11/18 Barcelona, Spain @ BARTS - Barcelona Arts On Stage
• 11/19 Basel, Switzerland @ Volkshaus Basel
• 11/20 Bologna, Italy @ Teatro Duse
• 11/21 Athen, Greece @ Onassis Cultural Center
• 11/22 Paris, France @ New Morning

USA dates:

• 12/04 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 12/05 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
• 12/06 Westhampton Beach, NY @ Westhampton Beach PAC
• 12/07 Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
• 12/08 Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre
• 12/09 Atlanta, GA @ Symphony Hall
• 12/11 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
• 12/12 Toronto, ON Canada @ Massey Hall
• 12/13 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
• 12/14 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

» mmw.net

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood: more tour dates

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood have another batch of live dates. The avant-jazz NYC trio and guitarist John Scofield hit the road again in December. They will release their new album Juice on September 16.

Live dates:

• 12/04 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 12/05 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
• 12/06 Westhampton Beach, NY @ Westhampton Beach PAC
• 12/07 Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
• 12/08 Durham, NC @ Carolina Theatre
• 12/09 Atlanta, GA @ Symphony Hall
• 12/11 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
• 12/12 Toronto, ON Canada @ Massey Hall
• 12/13 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
• 12/14 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

» mmw.net

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood: new album "Juice" 09/16, mini tour

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood will release their new album Juice on September 16. The avant-jazz NYC trio and guitarist John Scofield have been collaborating in the past, most notably on a 2006 tour that was documented on MSMW Live: In Case the World Changes Its Mind album.

Sharing a love for African-derived music Juice will focus on music from Brazil, the Caribbean, and Latin America. One of the tracks, Sham Time, can be streamed thru Paste.

The quartet has announced a mini-tour, playing three shows each in the USA and Canada.

Live dates:

• 06/17 San Francisco, CA @ SF Jazz Miner Auditorium
• 06/18 Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo Amphitheatre
• 06/19 Bend, OR @ Peak Summer Nights, The Athletic Club of Bend Courtyard
• 06/20 Vancouver, BC Canada @ TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Vogue Theatre
• 06/21 Saskatoon, SK Canada @ Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Broadway Theatre
• 06/22 Edmonton, AB Canada @ Edmonton Jazz Festival, Francis Winspear Centre

» mmw.net

Medeski Martin & Wood: The Shack Stream

artwork: Mandy Newham

The Shack Project, a project archiving Medeski Martin & Wood live shows, is now offering The Shack Stream. Hundreds of shows recorded during the NYC based avant jazz trio's career. The site creator has unlimited storage through Soundcloud and points to bt.etree.org torrents. Some shows can be downloaded directly from the site.

» mmw.net
» theshackproject.com

Medeski Martin & Wood + Nels Cline: Woodstock Sessions (Vol. 2)

Woodstock Sessions (Vol. 2), the new album by NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood and experimental guitarist Nels Cline is a challenging piece of art. Recorded on August 27, 2013 at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY in front of a small audience, the four musicians threw around notes, riffs, tunings and time signatures in a dazzling array of on-the-spot improvisation. Culled form two hours of live music the album flows like an non-stop journey through rarely visited musical territories.

Most of the tracks are quite loud and boisterous, but it's not a shouting match between the four musicians. The monster jam Les Blank locks into a slow moving groove, with the players taking turns to break out of the stride and the electro-static intro of Arm & Leg gives way to howling guitar feedback and a Far East Percussion bit before turning in all out free jazz rock frenzy leading into Eighties King Crimson-alike progressive excursion.

This an album capturing the collaboration of like-minded souls whose curiosity and musicianship creates something new and adventurous.

John Medeski: keyboards
Billy Martin: drums
Chris Wood: bass
Nels Cline: guitar

Woodstock Sessions (Vol. 2) will be released on March 24 (April 22 in North America).

Tracks:

1. Doors of Deception
2. Bonjour Beze
3. Mezcal
4. Les Blank
5. Jade
6. Looters
7. Conebranch
8. Arm & Leg
9. Cinders

Live dates:

• 03/27 Vaulx-en-Velin, France @ Centre Charlie Chaplin
• 03/28 Stavanger, Norway @ Folken
• 03/29 Dortmund, Germany @ Domicil
• 04/01 Caen, France @ Grand Auditorium de Caen
• 04/02 Epinay, France @ Pole Musical d’Orgemont (PMO)
• 04/03 Rüsselsheim, Germany @ Theater Rüsselsheim
• 04/04 Istanbul, Turkey @ Babylon
• 04/05 Cully, Switzerland @ Chapiteau
• 04/06 London, United Kingdom @ Under the Bridge
• 04/07 Lugano, Switzerland @ Radio RSI
• 04/08 Milan, Italy @ Blue Note Milano
• 04/09 Milan, Italy @ Blue Note Milano
• 04/11 Voss, Norway @ Vossa Jazz
• 04/12 Krakow, Poland @ tba

» mmw.net

HCTF review of Free Magic.

Medeski Martin & Wood + Nels Cline: new album "Woodstock Sessions (Vol. 2)", European tour

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood recorded an album with experimental guitarist Nels Cline last year. Woodstock Sessions Vol. 2) was cut live in the studio last year. It will be released on March 24 (April 22 in North America). A 3-week European tour kicks off in France on March 27.

Live dates:

• 03/27 Vaulx-en-Velin, France @ Centre Charlie Chaplin
• 03/28 Stavanger, Norway @ Folken
• 03/29 Dortmund, Germany @ Domicil
• 04/01 Caen, France @ Grand Auditorium de Caen
• 04/02 Epinay, France @ Pole Musical d’Orgemont (PMO)
• 04/03 Rüsselsheim, Germany @ Theater Rüsselsheim
• 04/04 Istanbul, Turkey @ Babylon
• 04/05 Cully, Switzerland @ Chapiteau
• 04/06 London, United Kingdom @ Under the Bridge
• 04/07 Lugano, Switzerland @ Radio RSI
• 04/08 Milan, Italy @ Blue Note Milano
• 04/09 Milan, Italy @ Blue Note Milano
• 04/11 Voss, Norway @ Vossa Jazz
• 04/12 Krakow, Poland @ tba

» mmw.net

HCTF review of Free Magic.

Medeski Martin & Wood: European tour + John Medeski USA solo dates

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood will be on tour in Europe in November.

Live dates:

• 11/01 Tampere, Finland @ Tullikamarin Klubi
• 11/03 Gijon, Spain @ Teatro Jovellanos
• 11/04 La Coruna, Spain @ Teatro Rosalía de Castro
• 11/05 Bilbao, Spain @ Teatro Campos Elíseos
• 11/06 Toulon, France @ Espace Culturel Andre Malraux
• 11/07 Zurich, Switzerland @ Moods
• 11/08 Bydgoszcz, Poland @ Miejskie Centrum Kultury
• 11/09 Gdansk, Poland @ Klub Zak
• 11/11 Linz, Austria @ Brucknerhaus
• 11/12 Leverkusen, Germany @ FORUM Leverkusener
• 11/13 Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli
• 11/14 Oslo, Norway @ Nasjonal Jazzscene, Victoria
• 11/15 London, United Kingdom @ Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
• 11/16 London, United Kingdom @ Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club
• 11/17 Sacile, Italy @ Teatro Zancanaro

John Medeski has added four more solo gigs to show off his piano skills.

• 10/17 San Francisco, CA @ SFJAZZ Center
• 10/18 Santa Cruz, CA @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center
• 10/19 Kirkland, WA @ Kirkland Performance Center
• 10/20 Portland, OR @ Mission Theatre

» mmw.net

HCTF review of Free Magic.

Medeski Martin & Wood: "Sessions From the Box" in Portland

artwork: Mandy Newham

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood recorded an acoustic session in Portland on April 18 for Sessions From the Box. They played some tunes and discussed the current acoustic tour.

USA live dates:

• 04/25 Sunset Center, Carmel, CA
• 04/26 UCLA Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA
• 04/27 Belly Up, Solana Beach, CA
• 05/24 Summer Camp Music Festival, Chillicothe, IL
• 06/23 Solid Sound Festival, North Adams, MA

European live dates:

• 07/06 Vilafranca del Penedes, Barcelona, Spain
• 07/10 Bohemia Jazz Fest, Prague, Czech Republic
• 07/11 Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 08/11 Jazz & Joy, Worms, Germany
• 08/13 Time in Jazz Festival, Berchidda, Italy

» mmw.net

HCTF review of Free Magic.

Medeski Martin & Wood: on tour in the USA and Europe

artwork: Mandy Newham

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood embark on acoustic tour throughout April, with the exception of the all electric show in Davis (04/20) and the one set acoustic, one set electric gig in Los Angeles (04/26)). After that it's the festival circuit with two appearances in the USA before heading out to Europe.

USA live dates:

• 04/17 Kirkland Performance Center, Kirkland, WA
• 04/18 Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
• 04/19 Napa Valley Opera House, Napa, CA
• 04/20 Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Davis, CA (w/ Joshua Light Show)
• 04/22 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
• 04/23 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
• 04/25 Sunset Center, Carmel, CA
• 04/26 UCLA Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA
• 04/27 Belly Up, Solana Beach, CA
• 05/24 Summer Camp Music Festival, Chillicothe, IL
• 06/23 Solid Sound Festival, North Adams, MA

European live dates:

• 07/06 Vilafranca del Penedes, Barcelona, Spain
• 07/10 Bohemia Jazz Fest, Prague, Czech Republic
• 07/11 Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 08/11 Jazz & Joy, Worms, Germany
• 08/13 Time in Jazz Festival, Berchidda, Italy

» mmw.net

HCTF review of Free Magic.

Medeski Martin & Wood: tour dates

NYC avant-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood bring their adventurous music to the US East Coast in April.

Live dates:

• 04/18 Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
• 04/19 Napa Valley Opera House, Napa, CA
• 04/20 Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Davis, CA
• 04/22 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
• 04/23 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
• 04/25 Sunset Center, Carmel, CA
• 04/26 UCLA Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA

» mmw.net

HCTF review of Free Magic.

Cover Me: Suspicious Minds

Medeski Martin & Wood covered Suspicious Minds at their show at Rams Head on Stage in Annapolis, MD - 2012/10/14. Written by Mark James, whose own version failed to chart, it became a number #1 for Elvis Presley in 1969.

The NYC avant-jazz trio have just announced a hometown residency at the Blue Note Club in December:

The band will perform 2 shows each night (8:00 & 10:30PM) December 11 - 16, 2012. Special guests include guitarist Nels Cline (Dec. 12), guitarist Marc Ribot (Dec. 13), and saxophonist Bill Evans (Dec. 14). More guests to be announced soon.

» mmw.net

HCTF review of Free Magic.

Medeski Martin & Wood: Free Magic

Avant jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood like to turn it up, so it came as a bit of surprise when they embarked on acoustic tour in 2007. They will do it again in October and the new live album Free Magic is an indication about what might happen on stage.

Culled from performances in Princeton, Wilmington and Alexandria during the 2007 tour, the five tracks show the versatility of a band taking on the sonic limitations of an acoustic set-up. Drummer Billy Martin's sense for tonality is far more prominent - the radical revisit of the 1993 Where’s Sly? gives him plenty of room during the second half of the song. John Medeski is mostly on piano, sometimes a prepared one, and throws in melodica and mylotica to add textures. Dexterity takes over the sound effects of his usual wide array of organs and keyboards - check out Doppler for his smart use of a toy piano.

Bass and guitar player Chris Wood pays tribute to his lifelong fascination for Charles Minus and Sun Ra in the double whammy Nostalgia In Times Square/Angel Race. The cruncher is the title track Free Magic which segues seamlessly into the Chopin inspired Ballade In C Minor. Jazz meets classic Polish composing skills and they both benefit.

Medeski Martin & Wood are musical inventors who have been at it for 21 years now. They show no signs of slowing down and when the mood hits them, magic can happen on stage. For those who were not able to attend, Free Magic is a comforting snapshot of their travels.

Free Magic will be released on their own label Indirecto Records on September 25th.

Tracks:

1. Doppler
2. Blues For Another Day
3. Free Magic/Ballade In C Minor
4. Where’s Sly?
5. Nostalgia In Times Square/Angel Race

The Brooklyn band hits the road in October for another acoustic tour.

Live dates:

• 10/03 Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center for the Arts
• 10/04 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
• 10/05 Boston, MA @ Jordan Hall
• 10/06 Albany, NY @ Massry Center for the Arts
• 10/07 Bethel Woods, NY @ Bethel Woods
• 10/08 Englewood, NJ @ Bergen PAC
• 10/10 Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
• 10/11 Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theatre
• 10/12 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
• 10/13 Washington, DC @ Kennedy Center
• 10/14 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head Tavern

» mmw.net

Medeski Martin & Wood: new album "Free Magic" 09/25, tour dates

A new live album by Medeski Martin & Wood drops September 25th. The tracks for Free Magic were recorded during the avant jazz trio's first ever acoustic tour in 2007.

Free Magic will be released on their own label Indirecto Records.

Tracks:

1. Doppler
2. Blues For Another Day
3. Free Magic/Ballade In C Minor
4. Where’s Sly?
5. Nostalgia In Times Square/Angel Race

The Brooklyn band hits the road in October for another acoustic tour.

Live dates:

• 10/03 Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center for the Arts
• 10/04 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
• 10/05 Boston, MA @ Jordan Hall
• 10/06 Albany, NY @ Massry Center for the Arts
• 10/07 Bethel Woods, NY @ Bethel Woods
• 10/08 Englewood, NJ @ Bergen PAC
• 10/10 Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
• 10/11 Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theatre
• 10/12 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
• 10/13 Washington, DC @ Kennedy Center
• 10/14 Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head Tavern

» mmw.net

Medeski Martin & Wood: "Fly in a Bottle" DVD 10/25, "In Case The World Changes Its Mind" 2CD 11/08

The Fly in a Bottle documentary, the Medeski Martin & Wood behind the scenes and on the road footage compiled and directed by Billy Martin, gets a stand-alone release on October 25th. Previously included with the 2009 Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Box Set.

The NYC avant-jazz trio will also open the vaults for a double live album entitled MSMW Live: In Case The World Changes Its Mind, a selection of tracks they laid down with guitarist John Scofield in 2006.

» mmw.net