Medeski Martin & Wood Announce a West Coast Acoustic Tour in April
“…superior jazz musicians who not only understand the history and vocabulary of the piano trio, but also move it forward into startling new territory.” ~ All Music
MMK ~ photo by Michael Bloom
Medeski Martin & Wood have announced a West Coast acoustic tour in April. The nine-date run begins at The Roseland Theater in Portland on April 17 and extends through southern California, wrapping at the Belly Up in Solana Beach on April 27. Highlights along the way include two nights at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on April 22-23, the tour’s only all electric performance featuring the Joshua Light Show at UC Davis on April 20 and an evening to feature both electric and acoustic sets at Royce Hall on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles, CA on April 26. MMW are touring in support of the recently released live archival album, Free Magic, that documents their first ever acoustic tour from 2007.
Listen to “Doppler” from Free Magic here.
Not familiar with the band, which has ~ amongst many other accomplishments, collaborations, eclectic side projects (not all music related) and musical explorations ~ backed up a diverse roster 
of artists, including punk icon Iggy Pop (both live and on his album Avenue B), R&B sax giant Maceo Parker, MacArthur Genius Grant recipient John Zorn and pop singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant? The band that can count alternative-rock lovers, jam-band aficionados, and jazz heads as members of their ever-increasing, ever-diversifying fan base? Well, no-one can describe them and their sound better than they can, and John Medeski can sum it all up in two words: “Wide open.” He elaborates a bit, though, with “Everything going on around you is music. When you’re in touch with that, you can play from that deep place more easily ~ you can create music with real freedom and openness.”
Heading into their 22nd year together MMW’s individual members are also busy with their own projects. John Medeski will release his first solo piano recording, A Different Time, on April 9 through Sony Classical’s newly-revived OKeh Records imprint. Billy Martin has just released Heels Over Head, the first full-length studio album with his brass band Wicked Knee on the drummer’s own impeccably curated label, Amulet Records. Chris Wood and his brother Oliver, otherwise known as The Wood Brothers, are maintaining a steady tour schedule, while this month they begin recording a new studio album with producer Buddy Miller for Zac Brown’s record label, Southern Ground Artists.
Entering their third decade together, each band member has his own take on the music ~ but given their individual thoughts, it’s easy to see why this 22 year + relationship has worked.
“We’re old motherfuckers, man,” Medeski laughed. “We’re in a really good place. We’ve been writing a lot of new music. We always want to create a certain vibration in the evening ~ if we’re doing something new and feeling the excitement, that’ll do it.”
Wood predicts, “I think we’ll be reflecting on the anniversary a lot, pulling out old material and approaching it in new ways. We’re always growing and changing, and the fact that we’re always doing stuff with other people keeps it alive, because we bring fresh energy to the group.”
“Musically, we’re changing all the time,” Martin shares, crediting the band’s constant improvisation for those lightning-in-a-bottle moments when they all realize, “Oh my God, how in the hell did we just decide to do that? We look at each other with our mouths open sometimes, and that’s the beautiful thing about it.”
The three also conduct an annual musical retreat, Camp MMW, in the Catskills (although this year’s camp has been cancelled, it will resume in summer 2014); with music classes, seminars, films, guest teachers and jam sessions, the August gathering encourages promising musicians of all levels and genres to break out of their comfort zones (and, we’re guessing, just “be wide open…”).
MMW’s music is something special, so definitely make plans to see them live if at all possible. And before you go, take a little time to visit their website and read their individual and collective bios. These guys are extraordinary and knowing a bit more about them will enhance the show experience.
Upcoming Medeski Martin & Wood tour dates
April 17 | Kirkland Performance Center | Kirkland, WA
April 18 | Roseland Theater | Portland, OR
April 19 | Napa Valley Opera House | Napa, CA
April 20 | Mondavi Center-UC Davis | Davis, CA
April 21 | Knitting Factory | Reno, NV
April 22 | Great American Music Hall | San Francisco, CA
April 23 | Great American Music Hall | San Francisco, CA
April 25 | Sunset Center | Carmel, CA
April 26 | Royce Hall-UCLA | Los Angeles, CA
April 27 | Belly Up | Solana Beach, CA
June 23 | Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival | North Adams, MA
www.mmw.net
www.facebook.com/mmwband
http://twitter.com/mmwband
www.calabromusicmedia.com