Customer Reviews

Uninvisible [Vinyl]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jazz can be a lot of things, but one thing it should never be is a "serious discipline." In jazz history, a certain degree of playfulness and humor has always been a trademrk element, from Dixie to swing to bop to fusion. Yet in the pedantry of contemporary jazz, from its being marketed as "adult" music to its sneering brigade of "traditionalists," that element seems to get swept under the rug. Somehow, too many people think that if jazz is "fun," it's also base and lacking in artistic merit, regardless to all the lip-service given to the jazz greats like Armstrong, Gillispie and Monk.

The humorous aspect of jazz has often been subtle, since it mostly was a black thing in a white world -- note Armstrong's classic "(What Did I Do To Get So) Black and Blue" -- and rather than make jazz vulgar, it added to its aura of sophistication. It is this colorful element that jazz of the present is dangerously close to forgetting completely, and despite the ongoing controversy of the "whitening" of jazz, if it takes a bunch of white boys to stop it, then so be it.

Granted, I don't want to make messiahs out of MMW, but I think they're doing us a huge favor for which they should get credit. This trio has been grooving and jamming for over 10 years now, carving out for themselves a fun little niche which (God bless 'em) they show no intentions of abandoning anytime soon...although they'll gladly have company over. Since I'm neither a purist nor a fascist, I too welcome a bit of company getting into the mix, which is why I find Uninvisible a thoroughly enjoyable album. It's another solid and groovin' album that follows MMW's proven "the whole is greater than the sum of its part" approach, with no signs that MMW is running low on either their creativity or their sense of humor. The openness of their free-jam style allows plenty of room for guest musicians throw in their two cents without it ever getting conjested. As a bonus, this album manages to better refine the "jazztronica" thing MMW began with the somewhat less consistent Dropper. All in all, Uninvisible is a very good jazz album that is testimony to a long-time jazz truth: a good groove and sense of humor will get you far.

Uninvisible continues where The Dropper (MMW's last release) left off. Building sonic artwork with layers upon layers of instruments and sounds MMW (with help from a few guests) have reached a new point in their career. They no longer have the sound of a mere funky organ trio (though that alone would have given them a place in the history books). They take it to a new level with the use of everything from a horn section to electronics to various "exotic" percussion instruments. Like any great artist,MMW is constantly moving forward with their artwork. They're far from the place they were 5 years ago and will probably have a radically different sound in 5 years from now. MMW create something new,fresh,and beautiful with every new album they release. Uninvisible may be very different from the albums I was first introduced to MMW on (Friday Afternoon In The Universe,Shack Man etc.), but that driving groove and interstellar connection that Chris Wood,Billy Martin,and John Medeski share is still and will always be the base of their music. The fact is that Uninvisible is great and should be checked out by anyone who truly enjoys music.

By the way, if you haven't yet witnessed MMW live do yourself a favor and catch a show. It'll blow your mind.

In April of 2002, Uninvisible was released. Most reviews of this album are negative as the critics were expecting something along the lines of The Dropper. Instead, Medeski, Martin, & Wood give us a fat helping of explosive groove. Those who have negative things to say about this album are advocators of music evolution and are bitter at the group for not continuing their progressive sound that is so prevalent on their last album. If anything should be learned from Medeski, Martin, & Wood's elaborate catalog, it is that we should never be expecting any one style in particular. Also, each album seems to be a testimony to different approaches to jazz music. If the last album was a demonstration of dealing with jazz on an experimental level, one should not expect the next to be as well.
The testimony in Uninvisible is a simple one: big, fat, jazz music that grooves in every direction. The album bursts open with Chris Wood's electrifying descending bassline that is quickly met by wild organ work, a lively hip-hop beat, and triumphant arrangements for a full horn section. This starting track is the richest sound the trio has achieved yet. The album continues with the optimistic vibe as it goes into an organ piece that hints at gospel music. The next track has a voice over of a jazz hound reminiscing the good old days of 1992. This track acts as a reprise or sequel to a tune from Combustication, in which a similar voice recalls the days of Charlie Parker and Lester Young. Perhaps this flashback is there to remind us that MMW have now reached, in the underground jazz scene, the notoriety of the jazz greats of be-bop era. The third song is a funky number that echoes the prevailing influence of Jimi Hendrix. Some impressive record-scratching dances all over this tune. The next track is the first of a few eerier tunes. While it does have a fairly consistent mushroom-jazz beat, you never really know where this tune is headed. The next track is a spacey tune with subtle reoccurring keyboard melodies hidden by ambient sounds that fade in and out over it. The strengths of this song are in the drumming. It sounds as if a D.J. is sampling different beats, but that is all Billy Martin. This is followed by a song that starts with the chirping of the upright bass and ends with delayed percussions. Then we have a slow, but lively track that sounds like something that was left out of The Dropper recording sessions. A half-minute-long piece follows with John Medeski toying around with a Moog synthesizer resulting in a Nintendo-sounding creation. After the awkward interlude, the listener finds himself bobbing his head to the bassline that carries us into another hip-hop beat with spooky keys and a barrage of atonal horn blowing. This is followed by a rhythm and blues flavored jam, where John Medeski finally shows off a bit. Track 12 has bassline that sounds again like something off Combustication. The next track is another piece where the rhythmic side of it is extreme enough to hold its own, but it is decorated with yet more atonality. The last tune features a drum track recorded backwards. This oddly brings closure to this album that seems to be all over the place.
As it spells out jazz music with a complete horn section, organ, bass, drums, record scratching, delay effects, synthesizers, and the occasional blatant disregard for tonal music, Uninvisible is anything but typical. Even for MMW, this album offers brand new sound at times. While this album isn't as hard on the ears as their last one, it is equally as experimental.

I had the the pleasure of finding this disc on ebay a few months before its release and it is still hard to get it out of my player. I've been listening to these guys for about six years now, and have seen them in concert many times. I have to say, I didn't realize there were negative reviews until I read someone else's post. When I first purchased "The Dropper" (MMW's previous album) it took me a while to adjust to it, since I think it was a very different sound for MMW. This disc went into my player after a long days work, I sat in the middle of my surround system, and a large smile ran from ear to ear from start to finish.
Interested in buying a MMW album? Get THIS!

Ive been following MMW since their release of Friday Afternoon in the Universe. I was mezmorized by their deep grooves, funky, spacey at times, that real hip beat the chris wood always fits in behind it all. When i first heard that they were still playin the the DJ stuff, I was glad, and almost worried. I love hear them push music, but i cant get enough of their real hip groove sound and style. After The Dropper, which was pretty out there at times... i was wondering if this one would go even farther out. This album, they took it out there, and retained all of their origional groove and funk.
This album caught my ears almost instantly.
Oh, and i was also really glad to hear the horn players on the album. It almost gets back to that feel of 'Its a Jungle in Here', which if you havent heard it, you must pick up.

MMW is ontop of their music, and will probably be there for a very long time...

This was the first MMW album I ever owned. I bought it strictly by word of mouth....but Uninvisible was the album for me.
I listened to it as soon as I got home. I was totally blown away!!! It was the most amazing sound I had ever heard. It was like jazz mixed with hip-hop, but without words. All of the songs were awesome. Songs like "I Wanna Ride You", "Pappy Check", "First Time Long Time" and "Where Have You Been?" are songs that will put a smile on everybody's face. They certainly have had that effect on me.

MM&W seem to have owned the jazz/fusion genre over recent years, but with uninvisible it crosses over into a more diverse world. It seems as with the groovin bass lines of Chris Wood and the funky keys coming from John Medeski, this band has touched base with their funk/hip-hop element. But a big contributer to this would be the Antibalas horn section. The modern afrobeat group coming from of course the influence of Fela Kuti, while contributing a new feel to the groove of this album, standing out especially in the 1st track "Uninvisible." Also the amount of scratching on this record from a few DJs brings a whole new element to this album.T he stand out track for the scratching being "Pappy Check." Other track stand outs include the rather mellow essence of "Smoke," and the completely out there jam of "Take me Nowhere."
It seems as if these 3 men can intertwine with anybody and anyone's styles and they just seem to be expanding from here on out. If you're in the mood for just a timeless groove or just an overall great listen, go for this album.

The thing that attracted me to this album was the cover. I said to myself, thats MMW for you. I didn't think the cover would say how different this album was going to be, from their other previous releases. Well it did.

This is far, tricked out music! It really isn't jazz. More borderline hip-hop, drenched in their usual instrumental funk fasion. I definately wasn't expecting what I heard when I bought this MMW album. At times, I had to stumble to the next track, because there were clusters of songs that all seemed to be sounding alike with no direction. I would fast foward to the next track finding it the next one to be more of a continuation of the previous one, rather then a new composition.

There are a few shining moments on this disk, and any MMW is not bad. I still wouldn't mind listening to any MMW album. Pappy Check was the first MMW song I ever heard, and I loved it. Obviously, for me, that's one of the high points of this album.

MMW has grown, and it's almost inevitable that they will grow even further, so I'm not about to let a few dissapointing tracks ruin my love afair with Medeski Martin and Wood.

MMW's most eclectic album thus far; read: sampling gets hot. For those unaware, this trio (keys, drums, bass) of musicians is known for producing high velocity funk. These guys can play, and at moments I think of comparisons involving the likes of Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, etc... And then at other times, I begin wondering if I am hearing another of those albums with a couple of good songs, and royal moments within some songs, but overall disappointing.

This album is not disappointing overall. It comes out hard charging, incorporating acoustic brass for the first time and serving up a healthy sampling of hip/trip-hop. It keeps up momentum with very catchy rythyms and sampling during the first four tracks, but seems to hit a lull, ironically, a little after track five and six titled respectively "Take Me Nowhere" and "Retirement Song". The albums complexity and enthusiasm seems to retire heading into track seven "Ten Dollar High." The album then enters the atmospheric ambient realm; thumping hip-hop beats that gradually become slippery funk. Unlike the live album "Tonic" the latter works on Uninvisible do not approach the chaotic compilings of "Thaw" and "Your Lady". However, I must admit that it is very difficult for me to tolerate the nitrous-oxide-voice bits that are used sparingly on this album as well as some other MMW releases. Yet, with patience, the remaining tracks show mellow promise. However, the funk-hop ambient tracks just don't reach the level of irrestible, soul-scorching transcendence such as that produced by the Eno brothers.

I struggled momentarily when considering a three or four rating for this album. My pleasure rating falls somewhere between two other MMW albums. Shackman, which I rated three, does not have the same punch and sparkle as Uninvisible, but Combustication, which I rated four, seems to delve into greater sonic depth.

The first MMW album I ever owned, and although it opened the door for me into the world of this psychedlic jazz trio, I must say that after hearing other albums, that this album doesn't feel like a 5 start to me. Although very electronic and moderatly funky, although more spacy then funky, and at times it feels kind of disorganized, compared to other MMW albums. Obviously MMW is a band that touches on different styles through each of their albums, I just hoped that unorganized noise was not one of them. Don't get me wrong, plenty of this album is tight and funky, but too much of it simply noise created by the trio. If you're looking for a solid funky time get Combustication, or even better, I have a leak of the new album, End Of The World Party, to be released in September, get that, the second it comes out, the best MMW album of them all, in my opinion. But back on subject, Uninvisible is a decent album, and a good spring board for new fans as there is plenty of catchy material on it (i.e Pappy Check, I Wanna Ride You, Uninvisible) but definitly not MMW's best.