Customer Reviews

Tonic

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

listen to notes from the underground and then slip tonic on immediately after- mmw has taken a quantum leap in improvisational and compositional prowess in just a few short years. gone are the self-conscious attempts at integrating contemporary stylings into a jazz format. now the band confidently plays a different kind of juggernaut, concocting a stew that is indistinguishably their own. wood's acoustic walk on the chorus of "afrique" thrills me each time while their understated version of hendrix's "hey joe" breathes new life into a song that i felt was ready for the fm graveyard. and i haven't even begun to mention medeski's wondrously choppy, bombastic chords or martin's brilliant-as-always percussion. mmw has truly grown up on this album, showing that they can rock a dark house in the middle of an electric storm.

For those only casually familiar with MMW, this disc may come off as somewhat of a surprise.The mainstream press has pidgeon-holed these boys as just another "groove-band". While there is definitely a post-hippie following associated with the group, they are at their core, a jazz trio. This is where their roots lie. And as anyone who has seen them live can attest, they are not swayed easily by the desires of their fans to play endless [body]-shaking encores. I have seen them live quite a few times and they always exceed my expectations for great jazz based improvisation. Past tours have generally consisted of an opening set of acoustic jazz trio exploration, followed by a second set of electric groove oriented pieces.

When they made their residency stay at Tonic, their focus was an all acoustic setting. No electric instruments. Back to the basics. This album contains the fruits of that endeavor. Within it are swinging jazz piano trio stylings merged with free form explorations and rhythmic vamps.

MMW sometimes have a tendency to dwell rather long on AACM inspired quiet free introductions to their sets, which often tests the patience of their hippie-fan base contingent, but here all the fat is trimmed. And after a brief introductory fanfare things are immediately off to swingland. Lee Morgan's "Afrique" is the first cover tune on the album. Coltrane's "Your Lady" and Bud Powell's "Buster Rides Again" also make welcome appearances.

You can tell they've been playing with each other for years. You can hear it in how they shift gears at a moment?s notice from sprightly walking bass, be-bop 4/4 rhythms and 16th note piano flurries straight into a maelstrom of modal ostinato bass plucking, free fill drum exhortations and dissonant piano swirls. These telepathic and dynamic interactions make up the majority of the playing on the disc, with only a few super quiet numbers. Remarkably, one of the softest tracks on the album is their cover of "Hey Joe". When things do get quieter, such as on the Coltrane piece, interesting instruments begin to appear, like Medeski's melodica and Martin's collection of ethnic percussion.

There are four original tunes on the album, and all of them contain the same momentous push and pull of structure vs. free improv. The general feel of the album can best be summed up by describing one of the original tunes, "Seven Deadlies". The band slowly starts the piece out in vamp mode, building it up with swaggering R & B piano chords, ostinato bass playing and a quick spirited boogaloo drum pattern. But just as quickly as the theme is conceived, it is mutated again. Dissonant piano chords and meandering bass playing overlay a still steady shuffle rhythm. But then the pace quickens to a speedy free-bop rush complete with frenzied piano runs. But once again, the theme re-emerges and off it goes and then back again, like endless waves.

The interesting thing about their approach to free playing is in their sense of democracy. One of the trio members is almost always holding down the structure of the piece. As a shuffle rhythm contorts into a bashing free cymbal soliloquy and the bass wanders off into metric patterns, you can hear Medeski holding it all together by playing the song's core melody as a chordal vamp in the background. In a few bars he could be pounding out atonal chord clusters and Martin could be playing call and response figures with him, but you'll be able to hear Chris Wood keeping the bass ostinato going, and so on and on it goes.

If you dig good telepathic jazz trio improv and / or are already a fan of the band, this is definitely worth getting. If you thought they were merely a "jam" band, then you need to hear this to dis-spell that fallacy. Oh, and by the way, the live sound is pretty good, very little audience noise.

While Eric Nisenson (see the book "Blue : The Murder of Jazz"), Tom Piazza, and others argue about the current state of jazz and the "jazz wars," Medeski, Martin & Wood have been pushing the envelope further and further for years now, seemingly oblivious to such squabbling. For MMW, it's all about the music. It's not about ego, it's not about solo time, it's not about being a band leader or having marquee status in the "jazz world." Every night, these guys are riding out on the edge, taking risks, hanging them out there, pushing further and further out, honing their chops, deconstructing, amalgamating, distilling. MMW knows, as Miles Davis did, that "jazz" (or perhaps it's better to just say "music"), is nothing without constant innovation. "Tonic" is an incredible document of the current state of MMW's constant innovation, but it is also more than that. To me, it is proof that this music we call jazz is alive and well.

"Tonic" is a live recording from the club it is named after, a very small club in New York City. The songs are actually pulled from several nights in a row that the band played there to sold-out audiences at the beginning of 1999. The intimacy of the recording is an achievement almost as remarkable as the music being played. Whenever I listen to this, especially on a good set of headphones, I feel like I'm sitting right there in front of the band. It's really amazing. This recording has surpassed my other favorite live jazz recording, the 1964 Miles Davis Quintet Plugged Nickel dates.

Listening to this gives me goosebumps, and that is not an exaggeration. Goosebumps creep up on my arms, back, and neck every time I listen to this. It's not just that the music is skillfully played--and it is that--but rather that the music is so exciting, so alive.

If you are a fan of serious jazz (and I hate to use that term, but we have to use some term to separate real music from this cheeze jazz and "jazz flavors"), then this recording is a must. Forget the fact that you may not have gotten into MMW's electric, funk-based music in the past. The music recorded here is a whole different animal.

I'm running out of space, and I haven't even gotten into specifics about the style, technique, or influences of the individual songs. I'd like to go on about the brilliant playing of all three members, about the psychic link these guys seem to have, about the totally non-selfish commitment to the music that you can hear throughout, about the brilliant use of dissonance, about-- I hope you'll forgive the rambling, but "Tonic" is so exciting it is difficult for me to get into the specifics without all this lead-up. I'm going to quit while I'm ahead. Do yourself a favor and buy this CD.

MMW is back.....and acoustic! Not since "Notes From the Undergound" have we been treated to the innovative trio in a purely acoustic setting. I'm a big fan of the massive groove of "Shack-Man" & "Friday Afternoon in the Universe," this is how I prefer my MMW. Not that the group's talents weren't displayed on their other albums, but you can't hide behind electric tricks on acoustic records! Drummer Billy Martin showcases his fantastic playing (some of the best out there if you ask me) without being showy, and the same goes for Chris Wood (bass.) Of course, to hear Medeski tickle the ivories is a true treat! MMW provide a masterful album that is well balanced with original material and covers (Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" for example.) Originals like "Rise Up" and "Buster Rides Again" strike awe in the ears of this listener. Just when you think jazz isn't going anywhere again...MMW come through with another brilliant gem.

This album is a masterpiece. For those of you who thought that electricity and minimalism were getting in the way John Medeski's brilliant musical ability, this Tonic will cure all that ails you. From the swingin' beats of Afrique and Rise Up, to the soothing, mellow tones of Hey Joe, this album proves that MMW has matured into true Jazz Musicians. This album is Notes From the Underground--kicked up more than a few knotches.

Medeski Martin & Wood (MMW) show why substance always trumps style in the jazz arena. Not that they don't have any style, but I'll get to that later. The best thing about this disc is that these boys can just flat-out play. The listener feels like a privileged fly on the wall at one of MMW's private jam sessions. It's outrageous how good Medeski is on piano. There were times when I just had to get up and replay part of a track again (and again) to make sure I was actually hearing what I thought I was hearing (if that makes sense). And Martin and Wood are no slouches either. Every melodic theme teases the audience by beautifully resisting it's harmonic "resolve" until the last possible second. Each player shares the focus unselfishly, like a basketball team full of point guards. As other reviewers have already pointed out, Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" is the last track, and although it may sound blasphemous to some, I think it has been improved upon. If you're looking for tracks that put a fresh face on jazz -- a fresh face on music in general -- then I highly suggest picking up this quality disc.

I had never heard anything acoustic from MMW until I picked up this album. I loved every minute of this concert. "Afrique" and "Rise Up" were by far the best tracks on the CD. The great thing about this CD is that is a different MMW experience, but you can still it's them.

This is by far the best album MMW has released. In my personal opinion, every album after Notes From the Underground was slighty inferior to its previous ones. They were getting more and more mainstream and showed less and less of their capabilities as a group. With Tonic, we see what MMW is made of. This is the most experimental and definitely contains MMW's best improvisitional showing on record. If you like creative music, this CD is for you. MMW has never sounded better.

I own all of MMW's major releases, and I must say that TONIC is my second favorite, next to Friday Afternoon In the Universe. TONIC takes us back to the old acoustic MMW's acoustic style. This album is best when listened to straight through, just getting bits and pieces will not do it justice. So pop it into your player and enjoy.

They just continue to grow and progress right before our eyes unlike any other group. As much as I love what the Hammond B-3 and DJ Logic bring to the group, this is the perfect forum to show that MMW is still all about communication and sensitivity. Before I heard this album the drive to the Memphis or New Orleans show was questionable. After being reminded how amazing they are live, I just might have to make both gigs...