The Wake

Bodies swayed with a trance-like rhythm at First Avenue on April 17 as Medeski Martin and Wood collectively jammed their way into a frenzy. MMW like to test the boundaries of jazz and funk, walking a tightrope of music and noise, and they never fail to deliver a spectacular show. Playing a venue like First Ave. allowed the trio to reiterate the fact that they craft a good groove like no one else.

With his Hammond organ, electric piano, synthesizers and baby grand Steinway, John Medeski has a wide palette of sounds to show off his talents. Drummer Billy Martin is an expert not only of the drum set, but also of hand percussion, shakers, tambourines, bells and trinkets from around the world. Bassist Chris Wood, who switches between upright and electric instruments, creates grooves powerful enough to hold the trio together. As a unit, Medeski Martin and Wood captivated the audience with their mesmerizing jams.

Supporting their latest album, “End of the World Party” (Just in Case), these New York natives showed no signs of running out of fresh ideas. The interplay between the three musicians was so strong that you could watch them rethink their music on stage. One minute, the sounds would be chaotic with John Medeski pounding at his keyboards, and at the drop of a hat, the three would be back inside their collective groove.

The instrumentalists (MMW don’t have a singer) used music to speak to one another and the audience. The intense rhythmic dialogue that the three created at First Avenue was enough to make anyone nod their head and dance. On more than one occasion that evening, it seemed like the musicians were reading each other’s minds — always a good thing in a free jazz setting.

All three members of Medeski Martin and Wood are classically trained and deeply rooted in traditional jazz forms. Over the years, their music has come to incorporate an increasingly eclectic mix of influences, but the careful study of composers like Duke Ellington and soloists like John Coltrane remains.

After more than a decade together, the group is still inventive. Their sound is very malleable, and the sets they play often reflect not only their personal moods but the mood of the crowd and the milieu of the venue. After seeing this group in theaters like the State and Pantages, a show at First Avenue was a new experience, one that focused less on avant-garde experimental tendencies and more on recreating the concept of “End of the World Party.”

In addition to playing as a trio, the group likes to collaborate with other artists. Their album “Combustication,” for example, featured the addition of turntable master DJ Logic on many tracks, and the band has paired up with jazz guitar greats like John Scofield and Mark Ribot. While such guest artists always add to the way the music sounds, Medeski Martin and Wood have maintained a recognizable feel over the years (even though it seems like John Medeski has a new slew of keyboard noises on every album).

When the band took the stage, there was palpable energy in the room. As usual, their two sets suggested spontaneity, with the musicians chatting between songs about what they felt like playing next. Building segue ways among a string of tunes, the trio played the first 45 minutes of their show without stopping, except to give drummer Billy Martin a chance to show the audience what he could do with the mess of percussion he had laid out on the floor and behind his kit.

Proving once again that a good show is about the music, the MMW concert lacked any visual spectacle. The band played against the backdrop of a black curtain, and they were surrounded by the boxes that they ship their gear in when they tour. It was as if they had set up in a hurry, eager to play. When Billy said the band was taking a break and would be right back, I was surprised to find that it was already time for the set break, and that they had already played an hour and a half, hardly stopping to say a word to the audience or to give themselves a chance to relax.

The trio maintained a good balance in their sets, mixing old songs and new ones, bluesy organ-driven jams and delicate piano work. Regardless of changes in the musical atmosphere, the players kept their incredible intensity. At times, Billy Martin couldn’t keep himself seated behind the drums and John Medeski was shouting along with his keyboards. Chris Wood’s hands would fly up the frets of his bass in a mixture of fury and exultation. To witness these three people on stage combining their respective talents was remarkable.

Standing in the crowd, one would never guess that this was MMW’s fifth show in as many days. Playing a staggering amount of concerts each year suits this band, seeing as every time they play, they are trying something new. Each album they’ve recorded has explored some innovative niche, some undiscovered angle, and their live shows have become a culmination of these various ideas and influences.

Medeski Martin and Wood’s appearance at First Avenue on April 17 was suited perfectly to the venue and the audience that filled it. This group could play anywhere and to anyone and the same would be true. This particular night, it was the funky, rhythmically complex grooves that dominated the evening. Their highly variable sound, uncanny ability to read one another, and unmistakable musical prowess are enough to guarantee that this trio can and will do whatever they want in the future. They will leave no sound unexplored and no fan dissatisfied.