The band draws on influences from a number of musical traditions, from funk to Hip Hop, and is known for an unconventional style sometimes described as "avant-groove".
MMW has found moderate mainstream success—often working with noted guitarist John Scofield—and touring on the jam band circuit.
The band members were introduced to each other by jazz drummer Bob Moses, who had performed with Medeski and Wood , and was Martin's instructor.
Medeski Martin & Wood's first performances together were at the Village Gate, a popular New York jazz club. They were initially an acoustic jazz trio, but Medeski added a Hammond organ when the difficulties of touring with a piano became apparent. Their first album, Notes from the Underground, is a record of their entirely-acoustic era. All of their subsequent albums reveal Medeski's use of a wide variety of keyboards, including mellotron, melodica, and a clavinet. Wood entirely eschewed the electric bass for MMW's first three albums, and still relies heavily on the acoustic upright bass in recordings and during live performances. Their earlier albums reveal a Hip Hop influenced updating of classic soul jazz sounds, which is the primary theme of their well-known 1996 album, Shack-man.
The band received some of their first significant exposure outside of the New York City jazz scene by performing with Phish at their October 14, 1995 concert, which led to the association of the group as a jam band.[1] In addition, their performance on John Scofield's 1997 album A Go Go helped to further their exposure. The band collaborated further with Scofield again in 2006, releasing the album Out Louder under the name Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood. This was the first album released on MMW's own Indirecto Records.
From 1998–2005, MMW were signed to leading jazz label Blue Note Records, and showed them delving deeper into dense, electronic funk than their earlier albums, although the band continued to experiment with free jazz and free improvisation both on their albums and in concert.
Medeski Martin & Wood's live performances are renowned for their exploratory nature. Their concerts usually involve extended improvisations, which may be both arrhythmic and atonal, an aspect of their musicianship that is rarely documented in the studio. They occasionally tour using only acoustic instruments, reverting back to the instrumentation that they began their career with. Their album Tonic is an example of these more contemporary acoustic performances. They have also done short tours of entirely improvisatory performances. These shows usually consisted of two sets of improvisation, followed by an encore of a song from an album.
Their song "End of the World Party" was featured on the show Grey's Anatomy and can be found on the show's soundtrack.
Each of the trio's three members are involved in a large music community, and have participated in numerous side projects over the years.
In 2001 John Medeski collaborated with the North Mississippi Allstars and slide-guitarist Robert Randolph; together, these five musicians formed The Word, a bluesy gospel band. They released one self-titled album and toured extensively.
Beginning around 2005 Chris Wood formed The Wood Brothers with his brother, blues guitarist Oliver Wood. They have released several albums to date and continue to tour and record together.
In 2007 John Medeski and Billy Martin released an album as a duo, called Mago. They performed that material together at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival
Lets Go
Medeski Martin and Wood Lyrics
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Put a fan on the window sill
'Cause I don't wanna hear that whippoorwill
Or maybe this is our sentence for all the time we killed
'Cause I don't wanna hear that whippoorwill
I'm gonna lose ya either way
I'm gonna lose ya either way
Or I let go lightly
Now baby, when you say my name it almost sounds absurd
Well, I don't wanna hear that mocking bird
You don't whisper it sweet
You say it like a curse word
I don't wanna hear that mockingbird
I'm gonna lose ya either way
I'm gonna lose ya either way
If I hold on tightly
Or I let go lightly
There must be a number and a corresponding house
Baby, when the door is closed the windows let it out
And she comes by begging for one sweet, lonely sin
But the door, it opens out so you can't kick it in
And her father sweet old man
He is comes by to lend a hand
Darlin', I told you all along I only partly understand
And she comes by begging for that lonely sin again
Saying, "You'd rather be a liar than an honest, lonely man
I'm gonna lose ya either way
I'm gonna lose ya either way
If I hold on tightly
Or I let go lightly
If I hold on tightly
Or I let go lightly
The lyrics of "A Go Go" by Medeski Scofield Martin and Wood talk about the struggles of life and how surrendering to God can bring peace and freedom from worries. The singer opens the song saying that they couldn't find peace in their mind despite searching for it. The person, then, prays to God for help, asking for guidance and support. The response comes in the form of an assurance from God that they don't have to cry because He will supply all their needs. The singer then realizes that their worrying has been holding them back from experiencing the blessings that God has to offer.
The second verse is a continuation of the first, with the singer admitting that they often struggle, and it's tough to find the right path. But, ultimately, they understand that it's not their battle to fight, but the Lord's, and that they will be okay if they put their trust in God. The message of the song is clear: let go of your worries and let God have His way, and your life will be more peaceful and fulfilling.
In summary, "A Go Go" is a spiritual song that gives hope and encouragement to those struggling with life's challenges. It reminds us that we don't have to carry our burdens alone and that there's a higher power that we can trust to guide us.
Line by Line Meaning
I couldn't seem to fall asleep
I was unable to drift off to sleep
There was so much on my mind
My head was full of numerous thoughts
Searching for that peace
I was trying hard to find inner peace
But the peace I could not find
Sadly, I failed to find the peace I was looking for
So then I knelt down to pray
I got down on my knees to pray
Praying help me please
I was pleading for divine assistance
Then He said you don't have to cry
God spoke to me reassuringly
'Cause I'll supply all your needs
God promised to provide for all my needs
As soon as I stop worrying (soon as I stopped worrying)
Right when I ceased worrying
Worrying how the story ends (When I let go)
Anxious about how events will unfold
I let go (And I let) and I let God (let Him have)
I surrendered control to God and let Him take charge
(Let Him Have) Let God have His way
I allowed God to do things His own way
(That's when things) That's when things start happening
Things will start to happen then
I'll stop looking at back then
I won't dwell on the past
I let go and I'll let God have His way
I relinquished control and allowed God to work in my life
There so much going on
A lot was happening
Sometimes I can't find my way
I get lost and confused
And often times I struggle
I frequently have to contend with challenges
Struggle from day to day
I face difficulties on a daily basis
I have to realize that it's not my battle
I need to acknowledge that it's not entirely up to me to fight the battle
It's not my battle to fight
I don't have to single-handedly fight this battle
I have to know if I to put it in His hands
I must have faith that giving it over to God is the way to go
That everything will be alright
I need to trust that everything will be fine
My brother let go
Brother, release and surrender
My sister you can't handle it
Sister, you are not equipped to carry this on your own
Oh let go
Release your inhibitions
And let God, and let God, and let God
Allow God to take the lead
Let go
Surrender completely
Let God
Allow God to take control
Let go
Surrender completely
Let God
Allow God to take control
Let go
Release and surrender
Let God
Allow God to take the lead and guide you
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Donovan Woods
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind