MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD - Combustication (1998) APE (tracks), lossless

As the only jazz band to be accepted by the neo-hippies of the HORDE '90s, Medeski, Martin & Wood pulled off the strange coup of being embraced by rock and jazz audiences, who both loved their endless improvisations. They managed to walk the fine line dividing between the two camps, as their funkified soul-jazz was self-referential and cerebral, not earthy and instinctual. That's part of the reason why some soul-jazz diehards didn't embrace MMW -- the ingredients may be there, but it just didn't taste like a real Jimmy Smith record. Perhaps conscious of this, MMW make no excuses about their heritage on their fifth album, Combustication. Perhaps because it is their first effort for a real jazz label (Blue Note), Combustication happens to be their most adventurous effort yet. Ironically, it's because the group embraces alt-rock and hip-hop conventions like turntable scratching. That ultimately turns out to be just window-dressing, however -- beneath it all, MMW's music remains essentially the same, but the handful of curve balls makes Combustication worth close listening for those already on their side. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine  
Tracklist :
1    Sugar Craft 3:22
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
Turntables – DJ Logic
2    Just Like I Pictured It    3:27
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
3    Start-Stop 6:39
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
Turntables – DJ Logic
4    Nocturne    4:02
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
5    Hey-Hee-Hi-Ho    3:15
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
6    Whatever Happened To Gus 4:26
Steve Cannon / Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
Voice [Spoken Word] – Steve Cannon
7    Latin Shuffle    9:05
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
8    Everyday People    5:27
Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart
9    Coconut Boogaloo    3:57
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
10    Church Of Logic 6:38
Jason Kibler / Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
Turntables – DJ Logic
11    No Ke Ano Ahiahi    4:48
Traditional
12    Hypnotized    5:34
Billy Martin / John Medeski / Chris Wood
Credits :
Bass, Bass Drum – Chris Wood
Drums, Percussion – Billy Martin
Keyboards – John Medeski