Medeski Martin and Wood - Uninvisible

Uninvisible is further than ever from conventional jazz organ. While blues and funk influences are evident throughout the album, they float on a sea of shadows. Sound sources are obscure or exotic; on "Pappy Check" innovative scratching by turntablist DJ Olive creates an impression of African percussion more than club atmospherics. Even where the instrumentation is less ambiguous, the trio steers toward a filmic noir sensibility, with Medeski leading the way in unorthodox techniques. His pitch-bend solo on "Take Me Nowhere" suggests the creak of a rusty hinge, with Wood's acoustic bass providing the anchor for his abstractions. Wood is in fact often mixed higher than Medeski, to the effect of reducing the keyboard parts to a sideline role and the album in turn to an exercise in mood more than virtuosity -- an impression enhanced by a similarly eccentric shrinkage of the power guitar part on "The Edge of Night" to a barely audible background element. The rhythm is steady and stealthy, a slow-motion oscillation between live and looped tracks, most often with a hip-hop sensibility. More important, every musician on each cut plays with a belief that overplaying only subverts the goals of collective improvisation. If any one album can be said to pick up on the surreal funk explorations of latter-day Miles Davis, Uninvisible is it. - by Robert L. Doerschuk, AMG

Artist: Medeski, Martin & Wood
Album: Uninvisible
Year: 2002
Label: Blue Note
Total time: 50:23

Tracks:
1.  Uninvisible (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 3:37
2.  I Wanna Ride You (John Medeski) 3:28
3.  Your Name Is Snake Anthony (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood/Bruce Hampton) 3:12
4.  Pappy Check (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 2:46
5.  Take Me Nowhere (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 4:07
6.  Retirement Song (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 4:47
7.  Ten Dollar High (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 3:42
8.  Where Have You Been? (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 3:37
9.  Reprise (John Medeski) 0:35
10.  Nocturnal Transmission (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 6:37
11.  Smoke (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 2:48
12.  First Time Long Time (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 2:53
13.  The Edge Of Night (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 3:53
14.  Off The Table (Billy Martin/John Medeski/Chris Wood) 4:14

Personnel:
John Medeski (Hammon Organ, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Mellotron, Piano and Synthesizer)
Billy Martin (Drums and Percussion, Bells)
Chris Wood (Double Bass and Bass Guitar)
Scotty Hard (Nomad Rhythm, Turntables and Rhythm Guitar) - 3,5,6,12,13
DJ P Love (Turntables) - 4,6,7,13
Danny Blume (Guitars) - 4,6,14
Eddie Bobé (Congas, Bata, Shekere, Bottle and Bell) - 5,6
DJ Olive (Turntables) - 3,14
Aaron Johnson (Trombone) - 1,10
Jordan McLean (Trumpet and Flugelhorn) - 1,10
Michael Herbst (Baritone Saxophone and Bass Clarinet) - 1,10
Stuart D. Bogie (Tenor Saxophone and Contra alto Clarinet) - 1,10
Todd Simon (Trumpet and Flugelhorn) - 1,10
Bruce Hampton (Vocals) - 3
Brad Roberts (Vocals) - 8