''Combustication'' is the fifth major album by

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

trio

Medeski Martin & Wood Medeski Martin & Wood (or MMW) is an American jazz fusion band formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums, and Chris Wood on bass. The band is influenced by musical traditions including funk and hip hop and ...

, released on August 11, 1998. ''Combustication'' was MMW's first album for the renowned jazz label

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Or ...

, and also marked a stylistic shift for the band, with a deeper groove and the notable infusion of rhythmic influences from hip hop and a variety of other styles. The album is also the first to include an accompanying

turntablist Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating new music, sound effects, mixes and other creative sounds and beats, typically by using two or more turntables and a cross fader-equipped DJ mixer. The mixer is plugged into a PA system ...

, in this case longtime MMW collaborator

DJ Logic DJ Logic (born 1972 as Jason Kibler) is an American turntablist active primarily in nu-jazz/ acid jazz and with jam bands. Kibler was born and raised in The Bronx, NY. Because of an early interest in hip hop, Kibler started using the turntabl ...

. ''Combustication'' features unique instrumental renditions of the

Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-i ...

hit "

Everyday People "Everyday People" is a 1968 song composed by Sly Stone and first recorded by his band, Sly and the Family Stone. It was the first single by the band to go to number one on the Soul singles chart and the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It held ...

," as well as the

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

an traditional "No Ke Ano Ahiahi." All tracks on the album have been frequently performed live by the band, often with tremendous

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

al variation.

Track listing

All music by

except where noted. #"Sugar Craft" – 3:22 #"Just Like I Pictured It" – 3:27 #"Start·Stop" – 6:39 #"Nocturne" – 4:02 #"Hey-Hee-Hi-Ho" – 3:15 #"Whatever Happened to Gus" (MMW,

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

) – 4:26 #"Latin Shuffle" – 9:05 #"Everyday People" ( Stewart) – 5:27 #"Coconut Boogaloo" – 3:57 #"Church of Logic" (MMW, Kibler) – 6:38 #"No Ke Ano Ahiahi" (traditional) – 4:48 #"Hypnotized" – 13:37 #* Includes a hidden song, "Combustication" (which begins at 7:37, after two minutes of silence).

Performers

John Medeski Anthony John Medeski (born June 28, 1965) is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano ...

– keyboards *

Billy Martin Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yan ...

– drums, percussion * Chris Wood – basses, bass drum *

– turntables on tracks 1, 3, 10 *Steve Cannon – spoken word on track 6

Credits

*Mixed at Greene Street Recording Studios *Assisted at The Magic Shop by Juan Garcia *Assisted at Greene Street by Danny Madorksy, Katsuhiko Naito, and Dennis *Mastered by Greg Calbi at Masterdisk *Band photos: Jimmy Katz *Design: Bleu Valdimer, Project Dragon

References

{{Authority control 1998 albums Blue Note Records albums Post-bop albums Medeski Martin & Wood albums