(Modern Creative / Post-Bop / Jazz-Funk) Medeski Martin & Wood - Radiolarians II - 2009, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

The second volume in keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood's Radiolatians series is, much like the first, wildly eclectic. Certainly all the trio's records could be classified in this way, but few of them are as playful and musically adventurous as the ones in this series. Once more, the band incorporates everything in its own brand of modern jazz: from funk and rhythm & blues to the vanguard tradition; from soul and rock through carnival music, country, and beat-conscious grooves. "Flat Tires" opens the set and comes off all distorto-rockist in the intro thanks to Wood's nasty bassline that feels more like an electric guitar riffing before it's addressed by a couple of taut rolls by Martin and some wailing carnival organ by Medeski. This feels like film music, but it's more centered than that, because there are some stunning jazz improvs as Medeski's acoustic piano takes center stage. "Junkyard" follows. This cut, easily one of the best on the set, is a dead cross between some incidental music by Ennio Morricone spaghetti western and the Tom Waits of the Mule Variations. The shuffle, pop, and groove is given space, dimension, and atmosphere by shimmering keyboard sounds -- including accordion -- shuffling rimshot drums accented by forceful bass drum, and a downright nasty bassline. Like the previous volume, there is a cover on this set as well. Medeski plays the Rev. Gary Davis' "Baby Let Me Follow You Down" as a jazzy lounge tune with considerably more improvisational heft in his wonderfully labyrinthine acoustic piano lines. He adds some killer funky clavinet toward the middle to create an infectious groove that makes the timeless tune a modern-day groover. Check "Riffin' Ed" with its New Orleans second line funkiness, all done acoustically with some excellent work by Wood who gets his bass into the lower registers to push a bit against the melody line even as Martin breaks his beats and accents the taut end-line chords of Medeski's piano. Ultimately, what transpires on Radiolarians 2 is the notion of song. Certainly these tunes are played with great instrumental technique and musical acumen, but they are performed with the full intent of the listener's participation in the experience because each cut is so utterly memorable on its own. Chalk this one up as a must-have for longtime fans of MM&W, and an excellent introduction to what this group does best -- making jazz both provocative and fun. ~ Thom Jurek, AMG

Restlessly inventive improvising trio Medeski Martin & Wood are set to release the second installment of The Radiolarian Series on April 14, 2009. Recorded last summer, Radiolarians II demonstrates MMW's bold and wild side. Strong rock riffs and hooks butt up against noise, and classic jazz seamlessly. The jazz tunes on this record feel fresh, yet familiar.
The Radiolarian Series­ named after a type of single-celled organisms with dazzlingly intricate exoskeletons ­is designed to subvert the age-old music industry cycle of write->record->tour. The trio, consisting of keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood, convened for brief writing retreats, performed only that new material on tour, recorded the material immediately after getting off the road, and are now releasing these albums on their own Indirecto label.
The band has repeated this process three times, resulting in three albums, the first of which, Indirecto released as Radiolarians I, on September 30, 2008. Radiolarians II is scheduled for an April 14, 2009 release. The third installment will be released on August 4, 2009. The three albums will eventually be compiled into a limited-edition boxed set with extensive packaging and bonus audio and video content, coming out just in time for the holiday season of '09.
"Witnessing The Radiolarian Series unfold has been really inspiring" said long-time band manager Liz Penta. "I've watched these guys reinvent themselves a hundred times, yet this series has yielded a particularly strong, creative body of work. The band got better at the process as they went along. Each tour got better and the band developed each set of songs further."
"By the third tour, we were really deep in the process, and enjoying ourselves," said John Medeski. "Writing the material and performing it was a pleasure. When you've been together for 18 years, it's pretty great to find that kind of synergy."
The first Radiolarian Series shows were in February of 2008, and were followed by recording sessions in March. The second leg of touring took place in July followed by subsequent recording in August. Again, following five days of collective composition by Medeski Martin & Wood, the final touring leg of The Radiolarian Series took place in November 2008. ~ AAJ

Exact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 4 from 23. January 2008
EAC extraction logfile from 14. April 2009, 23:56
Medeski Martin & Wood / Radiolarians II
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