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Medeski Martin & Woods’ Radiolarians II suggests that each of the three musicians are taking turns setting the tone for the respective installment of the series. John Medeski takes precedence here, but not to the detriment of his partners or the music they create together.
When "Padrecito" appears, the benefits of MMW doing infrequent if regular acoustic shows becomes obvious: Billy Martin and Chris Wood know intuitively how to set the stage of Medeski, after which point the trio hit a groove that is at once inviting and invigorating. The latter has learned from Thelonious Monk, but he’s never imitative: John only uses a similarly angular approach to melody as a means to weaving in and out of the bass and drums, then his own electric keyboards backdrop.
The prominence of acoustic piano on "Riffin’ Ed" and "Amber Gris" imparts a singular tone and continuity to Radiolarians II even as it is fragmented regularly by injections of harsher synthetic textures as well as the ever-so-familiar sound of melodica. That instrument’s laden with effects that turn it into something akin to a giant jaws harp on "Junkyard" before the keyboardist returns a favor to the rhythm section, introducing drums that slide into a rock groove before a succinct bass solo reintroduces warmer textures.
All of which leads, with circuitous yet impeccable logic, to the noir atmosphere of a jazz club at closing in the form of a slo-mo version of "Baby let Me Follow You Down." The reflective nature of the performance reminds us that after all, the billing of this group is Medeski Martin & Wood.
