by Mike Engle
Last night, the Brooklyn Masonic Temple was the site of a once-in-a-lifetime performance as Medeski Martin & Wood (MMW) treated a sold-out crowd to three hours of their signature jam music as part of the ongoing Undead Music Festival, all while maintaining a superior level of energy and freshness.
The core band, consisting of John Medeski (organ, melodica, and keyboards), Billy Martin (drums and percussion), and Chris Wood (acoustic and electric basses), reserved the first set for themselves. The next set retained the trio formation, but with a revolving door of musicians including Marco Benevento and Bob Stewart on tuba, holding down the low notes in lieu of a bassist. The third and final set expanded the ensemble, pairing MMW with collaborators such as Soul Percussion and pedal steel guitarist Chuck Campbell.
The proceedings yielded such a wide palette of sounds, I couldn't help but think of the common adage about the weather: "If you don't like it, wait a minute." After a cacophonous and arrythmic opening, MMW jammed their way through gospel, Mississippi-style blues, funk, and almost every genre in between. Judging by the party feel that permeated the auditorium (people were dancing in the aisles of the balcony, as well as the standing-room floor level), there truly was "something for everyone."