Jazz Articles about John Medeski

About John Medeski

Album Review

Julian Lage: Scenes From Above

Read "Scenes From Above" reviewed by Jack Kenny

by Jack Kenny
April 28, 2026

There are always expectations when Julian Lage plays: effortless, assured virtuosity and melodic finesse. Those qualities are present here, but they are deliberately understated, subsumed within a broader emphasis on collective interplay. Produced by Joe Henry, the album resists any attempt to remake Speak to Me. Instead, Lage sought to create an egalitarian session, explicitly avoiding a leader-centric approach. As he has suggested, this was not about “I'm the leader--let's build something around me," but rather about fostering ...

In Pictures

Medeski, Martin, Cline, and Metzger In Free Flight

by Dave Kaufman
January 6, 2026

Just after midnight at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on December 30, 2025, a late set got underway. Billed as a Phish After-Party, it featured John Medeski (organ and keys), Billy Martin (drums), Scott Metzger (guitar and bass guitar), and Nels Cline (guitar). Phish was in the middle of its annual Madison Square Garden New Year's run (December 28-31, 2025), and people clearly came looking for the celebration to continue. Many were in for quite a surprise.

Album Review

John Zorn: Gnosis: The Inner Light

Read "Gnosis: The Inner Light" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski

by Nenad Georgievski
June 19, 2023

John Zorn's album Gnosis: The Inner Light serves as a poignant memorial and homage to the creative genius of one of modern music's most visionary composers, Ennio Morricone, who played a vital role in shaping Zorn's musical path. Decades ago, Zorn captivated audiences with The Big Gundown (Nonesuch, 1986), a groundbreaking release that boldly reimagined Morricone's compositions. Now, with Gnosis: The Inner Light, Zorn once again pays tribute to the maestro's enduring influence, delving into mystical realms and creating a ...

Album Review

Club d'Elf: You Never Know

Read "You Never Know" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki

by Chris M. Slawecki
October 19, 2022

You Never Know is the Club d'Elf studio album that captures the whirling, overlapping orbits of acoustic, electric and exotic sounds of the floating improvisational collective, which has recorded and performed together for more than two decades, with crisp studio clarity. But more importantly, You Never Know celebrates light born from darkness. Bassist and bandleader Mike Rivard, the sole constant in the collective's 24-year run, suffered a near-death experience from a pulmonary embolism which struck him while he ...

Radio & Podcasts

For John Medeski music has always been about healing

by Leo Sidran
August 10, 2022

For John Medeski, music has always been about healing. “Music just kind of sucked me up," he says. “For me having music was a great way to deal with the hard things in life.Best known as one-third of the avant-garde jazz / funk trio Medeski, Martin & Wood along with Billy Martin and Chris Wood (aka MMW), Medeski began playing piano as a kid, growing up in Florida. By high school, he was sitting in with the likes ...

Album Review

Will Bernard: Pond Life

Read "Pond Life" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
May 4, 2022

All great performances, be they athletic or musical, start with a solid base. For guitarist Will Bernard that is a trio with drummer Ches Smith (Ceramic Dog, Snakeoil) and completing Bernard's bass (sic) with both the acoustic and electric input of bassist Chris Lightcap. Upon this foundation Bernard is inspired to expand his music with the help of keyboardist John Medeski and saxophonist Tim Berne. Medeski can be heard on the guitarist's 2008 album Blue Plate Special (Palmetto Records) and ...

Album Review

Club D'Elf: You Never Know

Read "You Never Know" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
March 7, 2022

Near-death experiences can reboot the mind, separating the important from the trivial. It seems to have worked like that for bassist and composer Mike Rivard, founder and leader of Boston's world-dub-jazz band Club D'Elf. A few years back, Rivard was nearly felled by a pulmonary embolism while seeking spiritual insight in the Amazonian rain forest. A long, dark period of depression followed, before Rivard emerged recharged into the light, having been sustained in large part by gnawa, the Moroccan trance ...