This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
You either love organ jazz or you hate it. Acid funkateers Medeski, Martin And Wood are definitely for folks in the former category.
This compilation rounds up a baker’s dozen tracks from their first five releases before their breakthrough album Combustication. But even though these earlier works didn’t earn the bread, they still have plenty of jam: John Medeski’s B3 burbles and percolates likes the world’s funkiest espresso machine, while bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin (no, not the baseball guy) lay down grooves thicker than shag carpeting, succinctly and smoothly bridging the gap between Jimmy Smith and George Clinton. So what’s not to love?
