"Jam bands" seem to have managed the musically impossible: to have become popular with both snooty jazz critics and well-cranked college stu dents. Picking up from where the Grateful Dead and fusion jazz left off in the '90s, jam bands recombine complex, extended improvisations and body-shaking rhythms. The better groups know just how to blend jazz soloing with good-time rock and dance-inducing funk.
Two of the best from this thriving scene -- Soulive and Medeski, Martin and Wood -- bring their fresh, intelligent performances to Tokyo this month.
With an eye to the college crowd, MMW never sacrifices complexity in the search for a crowd-pleasing groove. Their experiments on "The Dropper," their most recent release, whack your ears with so many intriguing riffs that it's hard to know where to listen.