Re: Medeski, Martin & Wood (Was What group was this?)

[libert@ix.netcom.com (Nick Langston)]

You wrote: 
>
>I'll also make a plug for this group.  I saw them recently in San 
>Francisco on the basis of only a three-line review in the paper.  Boy, 
>was I glad I went!

You know, I caught them in San Jose last month and I was not real 
impressed. Aside from starting 2 1/2 hours late, they never sounded any 
better than their soundcheck when they just fooled around with some 
grooves.
    Once the show started they just took everything outside. Now, I 
don't want to seem real straight- I can dig Ornette, hell, I can even 
dig some Sun-Ra, but these guys I could *not* follow. John Medeski (I 
think that's his first name) had too much avant-garde posturing, IMHO. 
Outside is good, but only when you play inside to set it up. It's the 
contrast that makes it work.

>Medeski plays a B-3 (at least that's what it looked like to me) with a
>Clavinet on top and a Wurlitzer electric piano to one side.  The organ 
>sounded great, as did the Wurly and Clav (going through a wah-wah into 
>a overdriven Fender amp for a great, nasty sound). 

    Yeah, he did have some cool tones!

Nick