Medeski, Martin & Wood

Medeski, Martin & Wood have a large and devoted base of fans who probably already own every one of the trio's albums, including every Blue Note album. So why would they be interested in what's essentially a "Blue Note years best-of" collection? Note Bleu is a well-thought-out distillation of their work spanning 1998-2005, but there's nothing a completist would need since everything has been previously released. That's where the "Deluxe Edition" comes in, adding three bonus tracks that were previously unavailable in the U.S.: one outtake from The Dropper and two from the John King sessions that produced End of the World Party (Just in Case). However, the real excitement is contained in the bonus DVD. In addition to three music videos, there is excellent footage of the band performing live at both the Newport Jazz Festival and the Texaco Jazz Festival (featuring DJ Logic). There are also two very interesting documentaries. The Dropper is the longer of the two, mixing lots of performance footage with some bio/interview segments and even a bit of animation of illy B's drawings. It's as much a performance film as a documentary. Foreplay is much shorter, but probably more interesting as it features them in the studio, not only performing but discussing their thoughts and methods regarding the recording process, their evolution as a band, and what they strive for musically. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes. There are also a couple photo galleries, but the live footage and the documentaries alone make this set easily worth it for the already established fan. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide