Medeski Martin and Wood “Amber Gris” (CB Premiere)
Regarding Medeski Martin & Wood’s interpretation of “Free Go Lily” from last year’s Radiolarians I, Chris Wood told us last November that they had been influenced by a series of field recordings when writing and recording the album. “Lily” has a grimy funk to it, transposing a stereotypical jazz piece with the addition of organ grooves and a thuddish beat. The following two volumes of the Radiolarians series were written and recorded in chunks last year, each recording session followed by a series of shows that exclusively featured the band’s latest songs. The first part was recorded in February, the second in July, and the third shortly after Wood spoke to Culture Bully in November.
Contrasting nicely with “Lily” is “Amber Gris” from the forthcoming Radiolarians II. Combining a classical jazz asthetic and low-lying beat before plunging into an array layered organ and bass, the song is held together from start to finish by John Medeski’s keys. The song divides Radiolarians II, coming half way through the set, and if it’s any indication of the music that surrounds it, II looks to permeate “fusion” and lay the groundwork for the series’ third volume. Radiolarians II is scheduled for a mid-April release.