Medeski, Martin and Wood - Last Chance to Dance Trance (perhaps)

****

(Ryko/Festival)

Review: Graham Reid

This organ-driven jazz trio have been one of the many younger outfits riding the back of the jazz-is-cool wave which neatly dovetailed into the lounge music revival of the mid 90s.

This 13 track "best of" compilation draws from their four albums, and the Bubblehouse EP of remixes recorded between 91 and 96, and adds a previously unreleased live track (the chunky, funky, wah-wah guitar r'n'b of Night Marchers) at the end.

Straddling the territory between take-us-seriously jazz and ain't-we-funky'n'funny entertainment, MMW rightly picked up an audience for keyboard player Medeski's knowledge of the trio tradition (he plays piano and wurlitzer as well as choogling organ) and their savvy mood changes between cocktail bar insouciance, and nods to fractured free jazz and Thelonious Monk's Rubik Cube approach to chords.

MMW (and guests) haven't quite achieved the profile here they deserve so if the brand is new to you, here's your ideal and thoroughly enjoyable primer.