Medeski Martin & Wood - Radiolarians II
(CD) Indirecto/Red Ink, 2009-04-14

Tracklisting :
01. Flat Tires
02. Junkyard
03. Padrecito
04. ijiji
05. Riffin’ Ed
06. Amber Gris | Go download MP3
07. Chasen vs Suribachi
08. Dollar Pants
09. Amish Pintxos
10. Baby Let Me Follow You Down

Links :
mmw.net
myspace.com/medeskimartinandwood
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Radiolarian_Series


"Amber Gris" Music Video

Press Release :
Restlessly inventive improvising trio Medeski Martin & Wood are set to release the second installment of The Radiolarian Series on April 14, 2009. Recorded last summer, Radiolarians II demonstrates MMW's bold and wild side. Strong rock riffs and hooks butt up against noise, and classic jazz seamlessly. The jazz tunes on this record feel fresh, yet familiar.

The Radiolarian Series­ named after a type of single-celled organisms with dazzlingly intricate exoskeletons ­is designed to subvert the age-old music industry cycle of write->record->tour. The trio, consisting of keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood, convened for brief writing retreats, performed only that new material on tour, recorded the material immediately after getting off the road, and are now releasing these albums on their own Indirecto label.

The band has repeated this process three times, resulting in three albums, the first of which, Indirecto released as Radiolarians I, on September 30, 2008. Radiolarians II is scheduled for an April 14, 2009 release. The third installment will be released on August 4, 2009. The three albums will eventually be compiled into a limited-edition boxed set with extensive packaging and bonus audio and video content, coming out just in time for the holiday season of '09.

"Witnessing The Radiolarian Series unfold has been really inspiring" said long-time band manager Liz Penta. "I've watched these guys reinvent themselves a hundred times, yet this series has yielded a particularly strong, creative body of work. The band got better at the process as they went along. Each tour got better and the band developed each set of songs further."

"By the third tour, we were really deep in the process, and enjoying ourselves," said John Medeski. "Writing the material and performing it was a pleasure. When you've been together for 18 years, it's pretty great to find that kind of synergy."

The first Radiolarian Series shows were in February of 2008, and were followed by recording sessions in March. The second leg of touring took place in July followed by subsequent recording in August. Again, following five days of collective composition by Medeski Martin & Wood, the final touring leg of The Radiolarian Series took place in November 2008.