Medeski Martin & Wood - "Radiolarians III"

"These things come in threes"...it's a familiar, yet stupidly superstitious phrase that is often associated with bad happenings. But when it comes to improvised jazz music that is imaginatively toured upon and then recorded in studio in a reverse, non-traditional means of creating and producing music, I prefer to believe that things coming in threes are inherently good, and point to positive omens of enjoyable listening experiences. With Radiolarians III, Medeski Martin & Wood have capped off this experimental trilogy and are finally seeking the closure their fervent jazz loins have wrought.

To be absolutely frank, this is probably the weakest of the three discs in this series (II wins the championship, and I provided glimpses of greatness throughout), but it definitely carries the torch of consistency. It's as if MMW decided to take their collective foot off the gas pedal and simply idle to the finish line after gaining such an incredible lead after II. This is almost like a victory lap wrapped in the flag of free jazz. Take opener "Chantes de Femmes," for example. Try and find anything but simple satisfaction in its well-paced tinkerings. Or the playful and traditional "Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down." Although the title implies some rueful battle at the gates of Hades with Lucifer's asp-tongued minions, it's really just a fun number that was probably inserted to shore up the more structural components of what has been otherwise an improvisational free-for-all over the course of three releases.

You'll probably find some favorites on III--for me, it's "Undone," and the Medeski-swirling "Walk Back"--but what is most important is to see the whole picture of the Radiolarians series: it's finished and it's a fantastic addition to the world of jazz. All three discs, no matter what order they are purchased in, are valuable, and provide different levels of introspection into what jazz music can be.