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
The Squalb
Medeski Martin and Wood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and put on your pants
and go outside to see the day
if you reach inside your pocket
you might find little pieces of fluff in there
and your mother may have told you that this fluff is called lint
but your mother was wrong
this fluff is the fur of a very special unusual creature called Squalb
that like most things that are really important in life
you cannot see it
and the Squalb will jump from your shoulder to your shoulder, to the top of your head so fast
that you will have no idea that he's actually there
And the Squalb can be many diferent colours
it can be orange, green, yellow, blue, pink, purple
but usually it's the same colour as your pants
and the Squalb will sleep in your pockets while you are sleeping and in the day time it moves from shoulder to shoulder to the top of your head to the bottom of your feet ...and cause shuashuashuahshuah...
only once in a great while you ever see a Squalb and they look sort of like a Wizol, a Wizol with a long nose but they have a robber teeth and they are just wonderful funny little creatures
If you feel something crowing on your arm
and you look and there is nothing there
that means you have a Squalb and this is very good news
because a Squalb will protect a little boy and a little girl throughout the day and so nothing bad will ever happen to you if you have a Squalb
Life will come at you in a beautiful way
Things will be absolutely beautiful for you as you moves through the day
People will say hello to you and you will say hello back
and then you will realise that they are friendly, this is because you have a Squalb and you have a Squalb
and I want to be the one to tell you it's important to me and you know,
as a young person in this world, if you have a Squalb, its a good thing.
Ok, I have to go now.
So, I gotta go.
Bye!
The lyrics to Medeski Martin and Wood's "The Squalb" are an imaginative and whimsical portrayal of a special imaginary creature. The song begins with a description of discovering little pieces of fluff in your pockets, which the singer claims is actually Squalb fur. The Squalb moves so quickly that it cannot be seen, and it jumps from shoulder to shoulder, to the top of your head, and even to the bottom of your feet. The Squalb is said to be many different colors, usually the same color as your pants, and it sleeps in your pockets while you sleep.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the positive effects of having a Squalb. The singer claims that if you have a Squalb, nothing bad will ever happen to you. Life will be beautiful, people will be friendly, and everything will be wonderful. The singer even implies that the simple act of saying hello to someone can be attributed to the presence of a Squalb.
The lyrics to "The Squalb" are a playful and imaginative take on the idea of a protector or lucky charm. By attributing positive events and interactions with others to the presence of a magical creature, the song encourages listeners to embrace their imaginations and to find joy and beauty in the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
When you wake up in the morning
At the start of your day
and put on your pants
Dressing up for the day
and go outside to see the day
Venturing out into the world
if you reach inside your pocket
Checking your pocket
you might find little pieces of fluff in there
Discovering fluffy things in your pocket
and your mother may have told you that this fluff is called lint
Recalling what your mother called it
but your mother was wrong
Disagreeing with your mother's explanation
this fluff is the fur of a very special unusual creature called Squalb
Identifying the source of the fluff
and The Squalb moves so quickly
Describing the Squalb's speed
that like most things that are really important in life
Comparing the Squalb's importance to other things
you cannot see it
Acknowledging the difficulty in seeing the Squalb
and the Squalb will jump from your shoulder to your shoulder, to the top of your head so fast
Describing the Squalb's quick movements
that you will have no idea that he's actually there
Noticing how the Squalb moves without being noticed
And the Squalb can be many diferent colours
Highlighting the variety of Squalb colors
it can be orange, green, yellow, blue, pink, purple
Listing the colors the Squalb can be
but usually it's the same colour as your pants
Observing how the Squalb typically matches your attire
and the Squalb will sleep in your pockets while you are sleeping and in the day time it moves from shoulder to shoulder to the top of your head to the bottom of your feet ...and cause shuashuashuahshuah...
Describing the Squalb's activity while you sleep and move around
only once in a great while you ever see a Squalb and they look sort of like a Wizol, a Wizol with a long nose but they have a robber teeth and they are just wonderful funny little creatures
Noting the rarity of seeing a Squalb and describing their appearance
If you feel something crowing on your arm
Sensing something on your arm
and you look and there is nothing there
Seeing nothing on your arm
that means you have a Squalb and this is very good news
Realizing that you have a Squalb, which is positive
because a Squalb will protect a little boy and a little girl throughout the day and so nothing bad will ever happen to you if you have a Squalb
Explaining the Squalb's protective nature
Life will come at you in a beautiful way
Expressing how life will be beautiful
Things will be absolutely beautiful for you as you moves through the day
Predicting that everything will be beautiful throughout your day
People will say hello to you and you will say hello back
Anticipating friendly interactions with others
and then you will realise that they are friendly, this is because you have a Squalb and you have a Squalb
Attributing friendliness from others to having a Squalb
and I want to be the one to tell you it's important to me and you know,
Sharing the importance of the Squalb
as a young person in this world, if you have a Squalb, its a good thing.
Encouraging the possession of a Squalb
Ok, I have to go now.
Announcing the end of the message
So, I gotta go.
Reiterating the departure
Bye!
Saying goodbye
Contributed by Aria C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.