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
Song Beneath The Song
Medeski Martin and Wood Lyrics
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Of a thoughtless and unworldly boy and an angel from above
Yes an angel from above
His heart was dark as coal dust and hers was white as snow
He was rough around the edges what she seen I’ll never know
What she seen I’ll never know
Her beauty was like a dogwood blooming in the spring
A young and tender mountain girl who only wanted love
But he loved to drink his whiskey and stay out late at night
His mind was full of sinful lust chasing his own desires
Chasing his own desires
Oh her love for him was stronger than a wall of seasoned oak
And she knew he was what she wanted but could she pierce his hardened soul
Could she pierce his hardened soul
Oh her tears could flood a river and she prayed for him each day
But her pleading cry he wouldn’t hear why she stayed I do not know
Why she stayed I do not know
She would go to church on Sundays with a burdened heavy load
Asking to the lord above what to do I do not know
Should I stay or should I go
Oh he could not understand her nor understand himself
But he knew he loved that tender girl but he suffered how to show
Didn’t know how he could show
One day he finally realized he was full of foolish pride
And the things she tried to tell him she was always right
Yeah he’s opened up his eyes
Then upon one frosty morning to the altar he did go
And he asked to be forgiven of the wrongs that he had wrote
And the girl who’s heart he broke
Now they sit and age together and he tells her everyday
How much he loves his pretty wife and he’ll love her to the grave
Yes I’ll love her to the grave
The song "Song Beneath the Song" by Medeski Martin and Wood tells a story of love, redemption, and growth. The lyrics describe the journey of a couple whose love overcomes trials and tribulations. The story begins with the introduction of a rough, unworldly boy and an angelic young woman who falls in love with him despite his flaws. The boy is depicted as sinful, indulgent, and distant from his partner. Meanwhile, the girl's love for him is unconditional and strong. However, she struggles to understand his inner turmoil, and he fails to reciprocate her love.
The song's chorus emphasizes the girl's undying love for the boy, despite his flaws and shortcomings, and highlights her commitment to him. The verses describe the boy's gradual realization of his mistakes and his efforts to become a better person. He eventually sees the error of his ways and comes to the realization that the girl's love is far more valuable than his vices. The song concludes with the image of the couple aging together, with the boy pledging to love the girl until his death.
The song's lyrics reflect the themes of love, redemption, and growth, and the adversity that couples often face in their relationships. The song emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, understanding, and accepting one's flaws, and highlights the transformative powers of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and listen now you fellows to a story of true love
Listen closely, everyone, to a tale about love.
Of a thoughtless and unworldly boy and an angel from above
A boy who didn't know any better meets a pure-hearted girl.
Yes an angel from above
She was truly an angelic creature sent from above.
His heart was dark as coal dust and hers was white as snow
He was a rough, unrefined person; she was a pure and innocent soul.
He was rough around the edges what she seen I’ll never know
He had a rough exterior, and the reasons she fell in love with him are unclear.
What she seen I’ll never know
The reasons why she saw something in him are a mystery.
Her beauty was like a dogwood blooming in the spring
Her beauty was delicate and natural, like a blooming dogwood tree in the springtime.
A young and tender mountain girl who only wanted love
A young, vulnerable girl who only sought love.
Yes only to be loved
All she wanted was to be loved.
But he loved to drink his whiskey and stay out late at night
He enjoyed drinking alcohol and being out late at night.
His mind was full of sinful lust chasing his own desires
He was consumed by lust and selfish desires.
Chasing his own desires
He was pursuing his own wants and needs.
Oh her love for him was stronger than a wall of seasoned oak
Her love for him was unbreakable and solid, like a wall of oak.
And she knew he was what she wanted but could she pierce his hardened soul
She knew he was the one for her, but she didn't know if she could break through to his tough, hardened heart.
Could she pierce his hardened soul
She wondered if she could ever truly reach him emotionally.
Oh her tears could flood a river and she prayed for him each day
She cried a lot and prayed for him to change every day.
But her pleading cry he wouldn’t hear why she stayed I do not know
He refused to listen to her pleas, and it's unknown why she stayed with him despite this.
Why she stayed I do not know
It's a mystery why she didn't leave him despite his coldness and emotional distance.
She would go to church on Sundays with a burdened heavy load
She went to church on Sundays carrying a heavy emotional burden.
Asking to the lord above what to do I do not know
She asked God for guidance because she didn't know what to do.
Should I stay or should I go
She questioned whether she should stay in the relationship or leave.
Oh he could not understand her nor understand himself
He didn't understand her, nor did he fully comprehend his own emotions.
But he knew he loved that tender girl but he suffered how to show
He loved her dearly, but he didn't know how to express it.
Didn’t know how he could show
He was unsure of how to express his love for her.
One day he finally realized he was full of foolish pride
One day, he understood that he had been too proud and foolish in the past.
And the things she tried to tell him she was always right
He realized that she had always been right about the things she told him.
Yeah he’s opened up his eyes
He finally saw his errors and changed his way of thinking.
Then upon one frosty morning to the altar he did go
One cold morning, he went to the altar to beg for forgiveness.
And he asked to be forgiven of the wrongs that he had wrote
He asked for forgiveness for the wrongs he had committed in his past.
And the girl who’s heart he broke
He broke her heart in the past, and he was seeking forgiveness for it.
Now they sit and age together and he tells her everyday
Now that they've grown old together, he tells her every day how much he loves her.
How much he loves his pretty wife and he’ll love her to the grave
He loves his beautiful wife and will continue to do so until he passes away.
Lyrics © DistroKid, MUSIC DUBOIS
Written by: Charlie Woods
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind