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.
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.
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.
From 1998 to 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. In 2001 MMW performed several songs for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo, a tribute to Duke Ellington, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.
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 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.
Legalize It
Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah,
And I will advertise it
Some of them call it tambi
Some of them call it deh weed
Some call it marijuana
Every man got to legalize it, yeah, yeah,
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah,
And I will advertise it
Singers smoke it
And players of instruments too
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
That's the best thing you can do
Doctors smoke it, nurses smoke it
Judges smoke it, even the lawyer too
So you've got to legalize it, yeah, yeah
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah,
And I will advertise it
Politicians smoke it, and their children too
Policeman smoke it, when them a steal it from you
We've got to legalize it, yeah, yeah
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah,
And I will advertise it
The song "Legalize It" by Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood (MSMW) is a reggae-style anthem promoting the legalization of marijuana. The lyrics are straightforward and simple, repeated throughout the song: Legalize it, don't criticize it, and if you legalize it, I will advertise it. The song talks about the widespread use of marijuana among different groups of people, from singers and musicians to doctors and lawyers, and even politicians and policemen. The message of the song is clear: marijuana should be legalized instead of criticized, and it's time to embrace it as a part of daily life.
The lyrics of "Legalize It" reflect the social and political climate of Jamaica in the 1970s, where the song was originally written by Peter Tosh, a prominent reggae artist and member of Bob Marley's group, The Wailers. At that time, Jamaica was undergoing political and economic turmoil, and a strong social movement was emerging, advocating for the legalization of marijuana as a means of economic growth as well as social and cultural liberation. Peter Tosh was one of the leading voices of this movement, and his song "Legalize It" became its anthem.
Interestingly, the MSMW version of "Legalize It" differs in some ways from the original. The tempo is faster, and the rhythm is more energetic and upbeat, with elements of jazz and funk added to the reggae groove. The guitar work of John Scofield adds a distinctive sound, with his signature blend of blues and jazz phrasing. The song was included in MSMW's album "Out Louder" in 2006, which also features other covers of classic reggae songs, such as "Chubb Sub" and "Hanuman".
Line by Line Meaning
Legalize it, yeah, yeah,
We should legalize marijuana and other related drugs for public consumption.
Don't criticize it
Criticism of marijuana legalization is unwarranted and unproductive.
And I will advertise it
I will promote the legalization of marijuana in any way I can.
Some of them call it tambi
Marijuana has many different names depending on the region you are in.
Some of them call it deh weed
Another commonly used name for marijuana is 'weed'.
Some call it marijuana
Marijuana is also known as 'marijuana'.
Some of them call it ganja
Ganja is also a slang term for marijuana.
Every man got to legalize it, yeah, yeah,
All human beings should support the legalization of marijuana for a better future.
Singers smoke it
Marijuana consumption is not limited to any specific profession, including singers.
And players of instruments too
Musicians, who also play instruments, are also known to consume marijuana.
That's the best thing you can do
Legalizing marijuana is the best course of action for any government and society.
Doctors smoke it, nurses smoke it
Even medical professionals are known to consume marijuana.
Judges smoke it, even the lawyer too
Legal professionals, including judges and lawyers, consume marijuana as well.
Politicians smoke it, and their children too
Politicians, including their families, also consume marijuana.
Policeman smoke it, when them a steal it from you
Even law enforcement officials have been known to consume marijuana they have confiscated during raids.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: OTIS MORRISON, DONOVAN KEITH BENNETT, NIGEL STAFF
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind