Friday Afternoon in the Universe

Amazon.com
They may attract Sufi-dancing Deadheads to their rock-club shows and they may have connections to lower Manhattan's art-music scene, but when you get right down to it, Medeski Martin & Wood are just a jazz organ trio. Organist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood don't work a whole lot differently from the old Jimmy Smith Trio; they get a good groove going, add a catchy hook and then improvise changes on both the rhythm and the melody. They may take more liberties than Smith ever has, but that familiar combination of a thick organ sound and funky drum patterns is still the core. The third Medeski Martin & Wood album, Friday Afternoon in the Universe, is the best reflection yet of the trio's live show, for 13 of the 15 tracks feature no guests, just the interaction among the three principals. And that interaction has been honed by three years of extensive roadwork into a genuine give-and-take. There's no parade of disconnected solos here, no fast, flashy playing for its own sake; the three players move as one through impressionistic, atmospheric patches into driving funk grooves and then off onto spacey tangents. Medeski plays some piano and synthesizer, but everything he plays has the thickened textures associated with a B-3 organ--thick enough to make three pieces more than sufficient. --Geoffrey Himes

From the Label
For its latest release, Medeski, Martin & Wood repaired to a hideaway on the island of Hawaii and jammed its way into an album worth of material with a characteristic blend of keyboard textures, heavy funk and a penchant for the sonic frontier. A harder-hitting effort than the previous Gramavision release, with less reliance on supporting guests, this provides the best approximation of MM&W's wildly popular live sets.

Tracks:

The Lover
Paper Bass
House Mop
Last Chance To Dance Trance (Perhaps)
Baby Clams
We're So Happy
Shack
Tea
Chinoiserie
Between Two Limbs
Sequel
Friday Afternoon In The Universe
Billy's Tool Box
Chubb Sub
Khob Khun Krub (Thai For 'Thank You')

Amazon.com

They may attract Sufi-dancing Deadheads to their rock-club shows and they may have connections to lower Manhattan's art-music scene, but when you get right down to it, Medeski Martin & Wood are just a jazz organ trio. Organist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood don't work a whole lot differently from the old Jimmy Smith Trio; they get a good groove going, add a catchy hook and then improvise changes on both the rhythm and the melody. They may take more liberties than Smith ever has, but that familiar combination of a thick organ sound and funky drum patterns is still the core. The third Medeski Martin & Wood album, Friday Afternoon in the Universe, is the best reflection yet of the trio's live show, for 13 of the 15 tracks feature no guests, just the interaction among the three principals. And that interaction has been honed by three years of extensive roadwork into a genuine give-and-take. There's no parade of disconnected solos here, no fast, flashy playing for its own sake; the three players move as one through impressionistic, atmospheric patches into driving funk grooves and then off onto spacey tangents. Medeski plays some piano and synthesizer, but everything he plays has the thickened textures associated with a B-3 organ--thick enough to make three pieces more than sufficient. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Gotta love that vibe.......2007-01-22

I love this cd. Totally chill, even with their (sometimes loud) sound experimentation. This album was my introduction to Medeski Martin & Wood, and it made me a big fan.

say huh???.......2006-10-26

Just for starters, I am an avid MMW fan, and I need everyone thinking about getting an MMW album to think about this......DONT start with this one.....I have a real hard time understanding the other reviewers because to me, this is the least comprehensive album of their genius ever put out by them(I have every MMW release). Im not saying its bad, but if you want the best start with Uninvisible, Combustication, or End of the world party (if you dig grand piano, go with Tonic)....the other reviews are totally mad. Claiming that this is the most inspired and round about album they ever made is like saying the Beatles made better albums before Revolver.....take it from someone who has seen MMW five times in three years and skip this one for next to last (last being Shackman) However, I am not so corny to think Im always right, and in dealing with jazz albums, it is totally subjective as to what is the best....

Hands down the best MMW!.......2006-08-29

I have all the MMW albums through the latest - End of the World Party - and Friday Afternoon in the Universe is, in my opinion, their definitive album. It has all the elements that make MMW special - sensuous, funky grooves flowing in and out of free-form improv sections, a sense of freedom within structure and perfectly demonstrates the band's passion for their music. Three consumate musicians playing with supreme intuition and a overriding feeling of joy and discovery. I'm a drummer, and I can honestly say that Billy Martin never sounded so creative, so alive, so inspired. And even though I'm not a keyboard player, I have to say that this is probably John Medeski's most varied, most transcendant, most adventurous playing on record. If you are buying your first MMW album, this should be it. If you are already a MMW fan and are considering picking adding this to your collection, do it IMMEDIATELY! You won't be disappointed. This is pure MMW at the height of their game.

MMW always good music.......2006-03-31

The first thing i heard from MMW was combustication, from there i just fell in love with this guys. Amazing the way the can go from a cool electronic simple jazz in some albums to a complex kind of latin jazz in albums like Tonic, sometimes in the same album, sometimes in the same piece. Another amazing thing is how they make music that is always cool, even 11 years after, thats the thing with this album, love it.

Typical MMW.. non-typical music.......2005-10-30

It's typical Medeski Martin and Wood in that it dances throughout your soul, letting you know how amazing these guys are. Songs like "The Lover", "Last Chance to Dance Trance (Perhaps)", "We're so Happy", "Chinoiserie", "Sequel", and "Chubb Sub" are all special in their own way. Yes, I know that this is almost every full-length song on the album, but all deserve being mentioned. It took me a couple of times to listen to the cd to realize that the shorter songs kind of serve as intros (particularly, "Paper Bass" and "House Mop"). I would say that if you are an MMW fan, you HAVE to have this cd, but most likely you already do; but if you are a new fan, this is a great introduction to them, although each one of their albums has its own distinct sound. ENJOY!

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