Medeski Martin and Wood

Medeski Martin & Wood, or MMW, is a jazz trio originally formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar.

Medeski Martin & Wood was initially a straightforward acoustic jazz trio, but Medeski quickly added a Hammond organ when the difficulties of touring with a piano became apparent. This more soul jazz oriented direction led to the incorporation of other musical genres, including funk, hip hop, trip hop and free jazz. Medeski has also utilized a number of different keyboard instruments, such as a mellotron, a melodica, and a clavinet, among others.

With each successive album, Medeski Martin & Wood have become harder to pin down. Having long ago transcended their soulful organ-groove basics to enter a more expansive world of snappy beats and backbeats, eerie atmospheric effects, post-lounge riffing, and the occasional jazz overture, they occupy their own category.
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