Medeski, Martin and Wood concert a study in aimlessness

Medeski, Martin and Wood - Liberty Hall, Lawrence KS - 05/14/2002

Tuesday night at Lawrence’s Liberty Hall, in front of a near sell-out crowd, the space/jazz/funk trio Medeski, Martin and Wood spent nearly three hours searching in vain for one or two musical ideas that could stand up for more than a minute or two at a time.

It’s almost tragically disappointing to see three skillful, inventive musicians like John Medeski, Chris Wood and Billy Martin of MMW struggle so mightily for so long to so little effect.

Medeski, Martin and Wood performed at lawrence's Liberty Hall on Tuesday night. From left; John Medeski, Chris Wood and Billy Martin.

Whether this was an off night, or the band merely has been spoiled by a devoted following of tripped-out jam band fans that will forgive them any indulgence, MMW was suffering from a sever case of musical attention deficit disorder.

Most affected by this malady was drummer Billy Martin, who appeared unable to keep his hands off the assortment of percussive toys he keeps scattered around his drum kit. Everything from squeaky pet toys to African thumb pianos distracted Martin from contributing to any cogent musical discoveries the band’s improvisation might have led to. When he did concentrate on keeping the beat, he demonstrated that while he has a jazz players sense of time, he lacks the touch.

Composition is a thin proposition for MMW. Their songs can be regarded as the bare framework on which their explorations are draped. Tuesday night the bailing wire and chewing gum holding that framework together showed. Keyboard player John Medeski gamely tried to make things interesting and at times he showed both his deft approach to jazz piano and his funk chops on the Hammond B3 organ.

Bassist Chris Wood is the group’s anchor and the few times the band hit their stride it was on the strength of the groove he laid down, such as the jam they put together on top of the bass line from Bob Marley’s “Lively Up Yourself.”

It’s certain that MMW has better nights. Still, it’s hard to imagine how this band that seemed unwilling to let a groove hold sway for more than a few minutes at a time, maintains such a loyal following among the patchouli-scented throngs of dedicated noodle dancers. And it’s hard not to sympathize with those dancers when the music leaves them simply twitching or pacing in circles.