Medeski Martin & Wood: Radiolarians II

Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5

Radiolarians II, the second of three planned releases in Medeski Martin & Wood’s (MMW) Radiolarians Series, ranks among the band’s best so far.

The album finds the trio in fine form, as they pull off the impressive feat of displaying their expansive range—the album careens from swinging jazz and punk/funk to avant-garde and beyond—while remaining remarkably fluid throughout. Though all three players shine, it’s John Medeski’s lush work at the piano—which MMW haven’t featured this extensively since their early days—that defines the album.

Standout tracks include the laid back “Riffin’ Ed,” the contagious funk of “Amish Pintxos,” and the gorgeous cover of “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down” (it takes a trained ear to identify this as a cover of the classic Rev. Gary Davis song made famous by Bob Dylan) that closes the record. Another high point is “Amber Gris” and the accompanying video by drummer Billy Martin, which he made with some help from FLYP’s own Matt McClain.