Name: Tonic
Brand: Blue Note Records
SKU: 814510
Price: 24.33 USD
Availability: InStock

Tracks

Performer Notes

Medeski Martin & Wood: John Medeski (melodica, piano); Chris Wood (bass); Billy Martin (drums, mbira, percussion).
Recorded live at Tonic, New York, New York from March 16-26, 1999. Includes liner notes by Frederico Cribiore.
Personnel: John Medeski (melodica, piano); Billy Martin (drums, percussion).
Recording information: Tonic, New York, NY (03/16/1999-03/26/1999).
The first officially released live album by Medeski, Martin & Wood, as well as their first acoustic recording since their debut, Tonic captures the best of several 1999 performances at the small New York City club of the same name. The group's playing is a nice mix of outside, bop, and funky grooves, but the difference here is that Medeski is unable to rely on the electric organ to produce effects. That often means his lines are busier and more staccato than usual, and, especially on "Invocation" and "Thaw," he takes spirited flights into the avant-garde with chaotic yet controlled flurries of notes. The group's rhythmic interplay, too, becomes more important in this context, with the grooves shifting around often enough to give the musicians more to react to. The eight-song program is equally divided between originals and covers with the latter category including hard bop material by Lee Morgan, John Coltrane, and Bud Powell, as well as a gentle, album-closing rendition of the rock standard "Hey Joe." Although Tonic is markedly different from the jazz-funk-rock with which MMW made their name, it's a rewarding excursion and one of their most purely jazz-oriented works. ~ Steve Huey

Professional Reviews

CMJ (4/24/00, p.3) - "...Nearly 70-minutes of post-modern jazz magic....the album elicits a genuine feeling of an intimate live performance..."

Down Beat (8/00, p.67) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...All [of their] experiments finally gel....[The] return to an acoustic setup has roused the coherence of the band's concern's....On this glorious live album, each of these notions coincides with a very natural aplomb..."

Album: Tonic
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Invocation
2)	Afrique
3)	Seven Deadlies
4)	Your Lady
5)	Rise Up
6)	Buster Rides Again
7)	Thaw
8)	Hey Joe

Album: Tonic
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Invocation
2)	Afrique
3)	Seven Deadlies
4)	Your Lady
5)	Rise Up
6)	Buster Rides Again
7)	Thaw
8)	Hey Joe