Medeski Martin & Wood reunited for their first public performance in over four years on Monday night. The highly anticipated reunion took place aboard Jam Cruise, marking the first time John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood have shared the stage since their appearance at Brooklyn Comes Alive in September 2022.
The trio opened with “Hermeto’s Daydream” from their 1992 debut before moving through a career-spanning setlist. Highlights included the deep groove of “Last Chance To Dance Trance (Perhaps)”, the funk-forward “Jelly Belly”, and a crowd-pleasing medley of Thelonious Monk‘s “Bemsha Swing” with Bob Marley‘s “Lively Up Yourself”. The 90-minute set showcased the full spectrum of MMW’s sound, from exploratory sonic textures to locked-in rhythmic interplay, closing with the energetic “Chubb Sub”.
What makes an MMW performance so special isn’t just that they’re rare, nor that they’re such an influential band—though both are true—but that there’s a singular chemistry that emerges when the three musicians come together. Each member is a consummate master of their instrument, but collectively they create a musical conversation defined by freedom, spontaneity, and telepathic interplay that remains rare even within the improvisation-friendly jam band world.
The trio’s pioneering avant-groove sound fuses free jazz with deep, elastic funk rhythms. They move fluidly between time signatures and tempo shifts with agility and precision, often heightening tension by abandoning the beat altogether. The band leans into moments of sonic abstraction before snapping back into tightly locked grooves, creating dynamic arcs that feel both unpredictable and deeply intentional.
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All three musicians have remained active in recent years. Chris Wood has toured extensively with The Wood Brothers, while Medeski has continued his prolific collaborative output, including contributions to the Warren Haynes Band’s 2024 album Million Voices Whisper and ongoing performances with sacred steel supergroup The Word alongside Robert Randolph. Martin, meanwhile, has focused on educational and experimental pursuits, directing the Creative Music Studio at The New School while crafting custom instruments from bamboo grown in his own yard. He is currently developing a large-scale theatrical production featuring a full bamboo orchestra.
Medeski and Martin have also maintained their creative partnership, performing as a duo and recently collaborating with guitarists Nels Cline (Wilco) and Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead). Those projects showcase a similarly compelling balance of free exploration and groove-centered improvisation, but there remains an unmistakable magic when the original trio reconvenes.
Related: Do Something: The Story Of Medeski Martin & Wood [Interview]
Full MMW performances have grown increasingly uncommon as each member has pursued independent artistic paths, further complicated by Wood’s relocation to Canada while Medeski and Martin remain based in the Northeast. That distance has only heightened the significance of moments like Monday’s Jam Cruise set, where the trio’s reunion serves as both a reminder of their enduring influence and a rare opportunity to witness their singular collective voice in real time.
Check out video highlights from Medeski Martin & Wood’s first performance in four years below, and scroll down to view the full setlist. The band will perform again tonight in the Pantheon Theater. For those who miss this one, the only other opportunity to see the trio is at South Korea’s Seoul Jazz Festival on May 22nd.
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Setlist [via Scott Bernstein]: Medeski Martin & Wood | Pool Stage | Jam Cruise 2026 | 2/9/26
Set: Hermetos Daydream > Last Chance To Dance Trance (Perhaps), Jelly Belly > Start Stop > Big Time, Bemsha Swing/Lively Up Yourself, Coconut Boogaloo > Night Marchers, Chubb Sub