In early 2008 the band announced on their official website: "Medeski Martin & Wood are planning 3 tours, plus 3 albums in 2008. Each tour and subsequent album will consist of all NEW MUSIC. The plan: Write > Tour > Record > Repeat." The Radiolarian Series is an album project by experimental jazz fusion trio Medeski Martin & Wood. The restlessly inventive improvising trio embark on an ingenious new experiment named after a type of single celled organisms. The trio, consisting of John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood, will convene for brief writing retreats, perform only that new material on tour, record the material immediately after getting off the road and release it as an album on their own Indirecto label.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
radiolarians:
I have found this to be the best MMW album yet. I listen to MMW on the bus and let the images flow. MMW combines new elements to this cd which I have never experienced before. shifting ballads that rearrange the universe. particles of spaghetti westerns mixed in schizophrenic rhythms; entrenched in the aloneness that is the human experience. Irish crack infused mercenaries screaming ballads that will never be heard or understood again. Yes I loved this cd---the imagery is raw, the feelings intense, and the... more info
Radiolarians:
For those of you wondering, a radiolarian is a type of amoeba, which is not necessarily what I would usually associate with Medeski, Martin and Woods particular brand of jazz/funk fusion, but this is part of a special series. The first of three albums put together very quickly associated with specific tours and very much a reflection of improvisatory style they have live. This album is a lot of fun and I cant wait to see parts 2 and 3. The album starts with serious sorts of ambiance setting noises. The... more info
some hot new jams:
After End of the World Party, I was a little worried about MMW's studio CDs--everything was over-processed, very little experimentation or progression, just some new synthesizers. With this CD, I'm confident that they're back on the right track. MMW thrives on space--that's what makes them so exciting, you never no what might come next. This CD captures that space (on most tracks), and captures much of the energy of their live shows. Apparently the "skelleton" of each track was formed on the road during... more info
"bursts of jubilant groove and raucous rhythm":
This release is the first in a three-album series crafted as a reversal of the usual recording process: rather than record an album and then tour, the band developed these songs through a series of live shows before ever entering the studio. Previous albums, notably Uninvisible, have emerged from extended in-studio improvisation, but Radiolarians 1 seems to be a remarkably faithful distillation of MMW's approach to playing and improvising live. Like many of their live performances, the album... more info
