Medeski, Martin & Wood and Alarm Will Sound set for 'ultimate jam' at CU-Boulder Feb. 6
Medeski, Martin & Wood. Photo by Michael Bloom.
The trio, a hit on the jam-band circuit pioneered by the Grateful Dead, and the versatile, 20-member, alt-classical band will jam together and separately for an eclectic program that draws on everything from the work of brain-bending science-fiction author Philip K. Dick to Egyptian mythology, Herman Melville and Detroit jazz.
Medeski, Martin & Wood draw fans not just from the jam circuit, but also the alt-rock and jazz scenes.
“Genre-stomping freedom is the essence” of Medeski, Martin & Wood, writes Downbeat magazine.
Alarm Will Sound performs work by a wide array of composers, from John Lennon and Leonard Bernstein to Wolfgang Rihm; they are truly impossible to pigeonhole.
“Alarm Will Sound has grabbed the future of classical music and made it now—merging styles, erasing boundaries, championing experimentation and obviously having fun along the way, writes the Denver Post.
The Macky program will open with a set by the trio, followed by Alarm Will Sound’s arrangements and interpretation of two of the trio’s pieces, End of the World Partyand Anonymous Skulls. They will come together after intermission to jam on pieces by trio members and others, including Kid Tau Mammalby , followed by anEnd of the World Party jam by Medeski, Martin & Wood.
And what will that sound like? Nobody’s sure, since the groups haven’t performed live onstage before. But one thing’s certain: it’ll be freewheeling ... and fun.
“You need to be in touch with that feeling you had as a child when you listened to sound,” says composer and keyboardist John Medeski. “Everything going on around you is music. When you’re in touch with that, you can play from that deep place … you can create music with real freedom and openness.”