"The jazz guitarist John Scofield has never met a groove he couldn't finesse, and in his on-and-off alliance with Medeski Martin & Wood he has pliable partners as fully in the moment as he is." - New York Times
"Mixing originals with covers of '60s classics, this group just kicks ass." - Magnet
"…an overall ‘60s Brit-jazz feel that, happily, could not sound fresher or brighter in 2014…compelling stuff." - Yahoo Music
"This is genre-bending, improvisational, funky freak jazz for people who want to step beyond the hook-laden pop nonsense that permeates the airwaves." - Esquire
"MSMW sound so loose and relaxed, we should consider ourselves lucky they even remembered to hit “record” and preserve this extended in-studio throw-down." - Relix
"...the simplicity of the approach at the heart of Juice camouflages its intricate balance. But like all truly great albums, successive listenings reveal the wealth of nuance within and, in turn, compel repeated playings." - Glide Magazine
Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood released their latest album Juice via their label imprint Indirecto Records on September 16. The recording has subsequently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Album Chart this week.
Additionally, the band premiered its video for the song "Juicy Lucy" with Esquire.com:
Juice—a ten-track effort and the fourth recording between the four musicians in seventeen years of performing together—showcases what Paste Magazine recently described as "the group's penchant for tight grooves and purposeful rambling." In addition to six original compositions, MSMW offer a romp through legendary jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris' "Sham Time," a dubbed-out deconstruction of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love," a playful post-bop reading of The Doors' "Light My Fire" and the gorgeous hymn-like album closer, Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'."
"We love the unexplainable magic that comes from our collaboration with John Scofield on every level, from the hang to the playing," says John Medeski. "This is a band with a personality and dynamics all its own that we feel we've captured like never before on this latest album. And it will only continue to evolve over these shows this winter."
"Reacting to each other is really what it's about," continues John Scofield. "That's what makes this music work. We've gotten to the point where we can come together and make something that is identifiable and organic, yet it's growing and changing all the time."
In December, MSMW will launch a 10-date U.S. tour, while they'll perform 15-shows throughout Europe in November.
TOUR DATES
December 4 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
December 5 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
December 6 - Westhampton Beach, NY - Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
December 7 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
December 8 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theatre
December 9 - Atlanta, GA - Symphony Hall
December 11 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
December 12 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
December 13 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
December 14 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
