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
Shuck It Up
Medeski Martin and Wood Lyrics
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I didn’t run out of money
Yea I ran up my money
I swear to God
I promise
On God
Ace In The Woods
I ran up my money
Yea
These niggas is funny
Yea
That bitch she go dummy
Yea
She say that love me
I don’t know
If she really want it
New bag
I just bought a new wrist
I’ma spend new cash
On a new bitch
Lately I just been
On some new shit
I got a different bitch
She always love it
When we gettin intimate
I got some bad habits
Gotta get rid of em
I liked it better
When life was on simple shit
I said good riddance
Cause we just got rid of him
Only thing keeping him up is the insulin
It was a incident
We had got into it
I will not ever settle
For some petty shit
I’m blessed like a reverend
Feel like I’m heaven sent
Flexing Jeff Hardy
Feel just like him wrestling
She get in my bed
And then we started wrestling
After that
Pull up in Tesla to restaurant
Take all the percs
We ain’t saving the rest of them
Nah we ain’t saving the rest of them
I got them racks on my dresser
I got these racks on my dresser
Yea
Yea
I don’t need a stylist
I’m already dressing
My new bitch
Always tell me she impressed
I don’t give a fuck
About your first impression
You can tell that
Just by my face expression
I’m a young a nigga
That ran up these bands up
I want it
I take it
Yeah call me a bandit
Release a new song
I know they gon play it
You niggas know
I ain’t nothing to play with
I just touched down
From a whole nother planet
Said it
I did it
You know
Cause I planned it
I know these perkies
Lowkey doing the damage
Still poppin that shit
Like it don’t even matter
Yea
Yea
You turned your back on me
That shit doing damage
I got love for you
I turned to a savage
Don’t make me switch
Yo ass out
For a badder one
Yea
Yea
Ima do what gotta do
All that I’m saying
Yea
My money ain’t nothing to play wit
Yea
My money ain’t nothing to play wit
Yea
Yea
I got all the commas can’t change em
Yea
Ran up my money
I didn’t run out of money
Yea
These niggas is funny
Yea
That bitch she go dummy
Yea
She say that love me
I don’t know if she really want it
I don’t even think that she want it
I get the bag when I want it
Never looking at the tag
When I bought it
New bag just bought a new wrist
I’ma spend new cash
On a new bitch
Lately I just been on some new shit
Yea
Yea
My niggas still carry pool sticks
Yea
Gotta move bitch (Get out the way!)
I feel like I’m LUDACRIS
That bitch want me and I gave her mixed feelings (Mix yo feelings bitch)
I’m in my bag I don’t be in my feelings (I don’t be in my feelings bitch)
Bitch I don’t care if U sweet
Fuck a new bitch every week
I know that your nigga weak
U ain’t gon ride for me
U just gon run to the streets
I'm just gon run up my money
I just wanna run up my money
I just went ran up my money (MON-EY)
Yea
Yea
Ran up my money this shit isn’t funny (FUN-NY)
Yea
Yea
I ran up my money
I never ran out my money
I just went ran up my money
I fuck your bitch she a runner
Run up my bands by December
Yea
Yea
Run up my bands by the Summer
I just went ran up my money `
I just went ran up my MON-EY
The lyrics of Medeski Martin and Wood's song "Shuck It Up" delve into themes of self-assurance, material wealth, relationships, and personal growth.
The repetition of the line "I ran up my money, I didn't run out of money" suggests a sense of financial success and stability without succumbing to overspending. The singer affirms their achievements and emphasizes that they have not depleted their resources. This may reflect a pride in their ability to manage their finances effectively and maintain their wealth.
The references to relationships and interactions with others, particularly with lines like "That bitch she go dummy, She say that love me," convey a sense of uncertainty and skepticism towards love and emotional attachments. The singer questions the sincerity of a partner's affections and expresses a guarded attitude towards opening up emotionally. This could indicate past experiences of betrayal or hurt that have made them cautious in matters of the heart.
The lyrics also touch on themes of personal transformation and growth, with lines such as "I got some bad habits, Gotta get rid of em." The singer acknowledges their flaws and the need to evolve and improve themselves. They reflect on simpler times and express a desire to move past negative influences and behaviors. This introspective journey highlights a process of self-discovery and self-improvement.
Additionally, the assertive and confident tone in lines like "I got all the commas can’t change em" and "My money ain’t nothing to play wit" showcases a sense of empowerment and self-assurance. The singer exudes a strong sense of self-worth and independence, emphasizing their financial prowess and personal agency. Overall, the lyrics of "Shuck It Up" paint a complex and nuanced picture of the singer's experiences with wealth, relationships, self-growth, and self-assurance.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Ace Woods
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind