Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood - Juice

Artist - Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood

Title -  Juice

Formate - 2x 180-Gram Vinyl LP

Label - Indirecto Records

Mastered by Alan Silverman and Paul Gold

UPC - 891817001928

The third studio meeting in nearly 17 years between  Medeski, Martin & Wood, and guitarist John Scofield has no easy referent to their earlier recordings -- purposely.

This quartet sounds like a real band on Juice, which is a mixed blessing. The positive aspect is that this longtime collaboration creates near instinctive communication. This is a much more inside date, though the rhythmic interplay between bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin. is outstanding throughout.

There are four covers from the 1960s scattered among the various originals; some work better than others. One is "Sham Time," an Eddie Harris tune. This quartet does it justice with spark, crackle, groove, and grease. The cultural baggage associated with the Doors' "Light My Fire" is too great for even these musicians to transcend, and with a straight rock chart, it feels tossed off. Conversely, the reading of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," at nearly 11 minutes, contains an imaginative arrangement that makes the listener almost forget the original.

The solos by the guitarist and John Medeski are lyrical, tight, and flow right out of one another. Martin's "Louis the Shoplifter" is populated with killer interlocking salsa grooves between him and Medeski amid knotty changes.  Wood's bassline develops along with the drummer's pumping, double-time snare, and syncopated breaks.