Medeski Martin and Wood - Omnisphere (2018)

This encounter, recorded live in Colorado, speaks to the free exchange of ideas and mutual inspiration that exists between many jazz and contemporary classical musicians. Medeski, Martin & Wood, a pre-eminent electric-jazz trio for nearly 30 years, gains incredible new dimension when partnered with the 20-piece chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound under the direction of Alan Pierson. Despite the number of players involved, much of the music is texturally spare and restrained, aglow with harmonic mystery. The dark, dissonant abstraction of “Coral Sea” and the electro-acoustic sprawl of “Eye of Ra” capture the essence of the project, along with two earlier MMW items, “Anonymous Skulls” and “End of the World Party”, arranged by Alarm’s Courtney Orlando and Stefan Freund, respectively.