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The Dropper

by Medeski Martin & Wood

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Whether Medeski Martin and Wood named The Dropper in the hip-hop and dance traditions of "dropping science" and "dropping the beat" or to name-drop a delivery mechanism for liquid lysergic acid diethylamide, the album is jazz's best bridge to all three in a long time. This is the perfect electric corollary to early 2000's acoustic blowout, Tonic, with MMW at full tilt from the album-opening growl that announces "We Are Rolling" (a double entendre, perchance?). Medeski jumps on his keys with such force that it's several tunes into The Dropper before you realize you've come through hazes and blazes of beats and billows to hear a pristine midrange piano. The more overtly beat-oriented sound of 1998's Combustication appears periodically here, but so too do wild alto sax windstorms--care of guest and Sun Ra band veteran Marshall Allen and guitar thunder from guest Marc Ribot (among other esteemed visitors). But the real push and pull of The Dropper come with on-the-one beats punching through thick storms of sound and leading the trio into sweet, soulful spots like the bossa-painted "Note Bleu." Colossal shape shifting is the order of the day. So drop on by. --Andrew Bartlett