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REVIEW: Medeski, Martin & Wood energize huge crowd

By John Kenyon

Check CorridorBuzz.com for reviews of Saturday and Sunday's Iowa City Jazz Festival main stage performances. Reviews will be posted after each set.

Medeski, Martin and Wood is the rare band that can straddle genres without necessarily trying. Want proof? The massive crowd at the group's Friday night headline slot at the Iowa City Jazz Festival offered plenty.

Sure, there were plenty from the chair-in-a-bag brigade who come to every jazz fest, happy for the rare opportunity to hear free live music. But the area in front of the performers told the true tale, as a few hundred college-age fans crushed toward the lip of the stage, dancing, swaying and grooving with the music. Usually, such cross-pollination can cause problems, but not this time. Everyone seemed to enjoy the band's organ-heavy, soulful jazz, and with good reason.

The band played several lengthy songs, stretching each as they explored every nook and cranny of the music. Nearly all offered a very heavy groove driven by the organ of John Medeski. While his bandmates, drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood, offered plenty of highlights, the band is clearly driven by Medeski.

The first song of the night was relatively straight ahead organ jazz. Medeski set the tone while Martin drove the beat and Wood colored the open spaces with a soulful thump. The second was similar. This one started with Wood's bass, Medeski dropping quiet chords behind him. But as the song built, Medeski took a spot front and center again.

The band has made a name for itself with its innovative playing and experimentation, and that trait showed itself on the third song. Wood played a funky bass, augmented by some percussive touches from Martin. It was an otherworldy sound that showed how easily and eagerly the band pushes the envelope of jazz. By the time Medeski joined in, it became a full-burn slice of funky soul and was a highlight of the night, a driving, eclectic tune that showed the full breadth of talent of the band.

The fourth song featured a lengthy drum solo from Martin before giving way to another slow groove from Medeski.

The only complaint is that the band was silent from the stage throughout the set, sharing no information about what they were playing. Hardcore fans no doubt recognized some tunes, but it wasn't clear to more casual listeners. Then again, these songs might not even have titles yet. The band is carrying out an ambitious plan to write, perform and then record three albums over the course of this year. According to the band's web site, some of the music from this experiment will make its way into festival sets, so we may have witnessed entirely new material.

Whatever its name or provenance, this was top flight organ jazz, and a great capper to the first night of what promises to be one of the best Iowa City Jazz Festivals in years.

Hear some of Medeski, Martin & Wood's performance here.