photo: The Klein
And then there were three. The Radiolarians series by avant jazz rock trio Medeski Martin & Wood is completed with part III. Keyboard playerJohn Medeski takes it from the top in opener Chantes Des Femmes, employing an updated Fifties vibe.
The slightly sinister Satan Your Kingdom Must Come will scare the shit out of Bible thumping zealots, the rest of the mankind can enjoy the rumbling piano with hints of Weimar Republic cabaret - with bas player Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin hopping on to create a rollicking track that would have fitted on the soundtrack for a gothic Hammer Horror production.
After the pseudo-Arbaic exploration of Kota comes Undone, a track that can be pigeonholed as grunge jazz rock - sounding rough and nasty with the keyboards following the bass. Wonton is a Hammond throwaway, the sole clunker on the album before the trio embarks on a journey through lesser explored musical territories with Walk Back, Jean's Scene (another piano showcase), and ending with a walking bass line for Broken Mirror and a dance groove with a ska feel for Gwyra Mi.
Radiolarians III is the most accesible album of the series. With the final installment Medeski Martin & Wood have proven that it can be done to work new stuff in rehearsal, play them live and then record them.
Radiolarians III is available from the MMW web shop.
Tracks:
- Chantes Des Femmes
- Satan Your Kingdom Must Come
- Down
- Kota
- Undone
- Wonton
- Walk Back
- Jean’s Scene
- Broken Mirror
- Gyra Mi
MP3: Medeski Martin & Wood - Undone
Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set
All three albums will be released in a limited edition deluxe box set called Radiolarians: The Evolutionary Set with bonus tracks, a live album, a remixes album, a double vinyl lp set consisting of highlights, and a documentary DVD called Fly In A Bottle directed by Billy Martin.
Release date: November 24th.
Live dates:
- 10/02 Austin City Limits, Austin, Texas
- 10/28 Tbilisi Concert Hall, Tbilisi, Georgia
- 11/12 Mass MoCA, North Adams, Massachusetts
- 11/13 House of Blues, Boston, Massachusetts
- 11/14 Nokia Theatre, New York, New York
- 11/15 Westcott Theatre, Syracuse, New York
- 11/17 Kent Stage, Kent, Ohio
- 11/18 Intersection, Grand Rapids, Michigan
- 11/19 The Vogue, Indianapolis, Indiana
- 11/20 The Eagles Club, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- 11/21 House of Blues, Chicago, Illinois
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