Last Chance to Dance Trance (perhaps): Best of 1991-1996
It's really no wonder the trio of John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood hit it big with the improv-rock crew. Their grooves are impeccable and strong, at once taut and fully limber. And this collection shows that MMW knew their grooves even on their minor-splash debut,Notes from the Undergroundin the early 1990s, when Medeski played mainly piano. The tracks here range from organ-driven rhythmic twisters to slinky reggae covers ("Bemsha Swing/Lively Up Yourself," taken from 1993'sIt's a Jungle in Here) and all-out keyboard blasters built on loopy jazz-fusion rhythms (as on "Beeah"). Reprising the material that predates MMW's astonishingly successfulCombustication, this album reveals a trio that has managed to combine grooves, postbop improvisation, and stellar talent without flinching from their first recorded outing. That you can catch the highlights of their first five releases--plus an unreleased live "Night Marchers"--on this one CD is a boon.--Andrew Bartlett