| Woodstock Sessions Vol. 2 | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 15, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | August 27, 2013 | |||
| Studio | Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 63:56 | |||
| Label | Woodstock Sessions WS 002 | |||
| Medeski Martin & Wood chronology | ||||
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| Nels Cline chronology | ||||
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Woodstock Sessions Vol. 2 is an album by Medeski Martin & Wood and guitarist Nels Cline which was recorded live in the studio and released in April 2014 on the band's Woodstock Sessions label. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| All About Jazz |  |
| PopMatters |   |
The Allmusic review by Sean Westergaard awarded the album 4 stars out of 5, stating "These guys are sonic explorers and over the course of the session they go just about everywhere: electronic ambient, soul jazz, rock freakouts, '50s sci-fi, mysterious exotica, and even a little taste of New Orleans. It's not for everyone, but fans of either band should be thrilled, as should anyone interested in well-done experimental music without boundaries". [2] Writing for All About Jazz, John Kelman said "Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2 finds the decade-long Wilco guitarist encouraging the trio to go to musical places no one has truly gone before. It may be a roller coaster of a listen but it's still somehow a strangely attractive one, especially when experienced old school, as a whole rather than a set of nine individual tracks". [3] PopMatters' Will Layman stated "Woodstock Sessions Vol. 2 features a group of musicians who could easily play to the audiences that are so utterly ready to love them. Instead, they play for themselves, for the passion they have for their art. It’s not a record to alienate fans, but it’s a record to challenge fans and win them over to stretches beyond their comfort zone. A thrill, a dare, a terrific record". [4]
All compositions by John Medeski, Nels Cline, Chris Wood and Billy Martin.
John Scofield, sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American jazz-rock guitarist and composer whose music includes bebop, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul, and rock. He has worked with Miles Davis, Dave Liebman, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Joey DeFrancesco, Herbie Hancock, Eddie Palmieri, Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Pat Martino, Mavis Staples, Phil Lesh, Billy Cobham, Medeski Martin & Wood, George Duke, Jaco Pastorius, John Mayer, Robert Glasper, and Gov't Mule.
Medeski Martin & Wood is an American avant-jazz-funk band formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards, Billy Martin on drums, and Chris Wood on bass. The band is influenced by musical traditions including funk and hip hop and is known for an unconventional style sometimes described as "avant-groove".
Yuka Honda is a Japanese-American musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with a diverse array of musicians, including Petra Haden, Sean Lennon, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, Tricky, Harper Simon, Beastie Boys, Los Lobos, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Mitchell Froom, Medeski Martin & Wood, Marc Ribot, Yoshimi P-We, Arto Lindsay, Edie Brickell, Vincent Gallo, Luscious Jackson, Dave Douglas, Bernie Worrell, and Caetano Veloso.
Nels Courtney Cline is an American guitarist and composer. He has been the guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004.
Anthony John Medeski is an American jazz keyboard player and composer. Medeski is a veteran of New York's 1990s avant-garde jazz scene and is known popularly as a member of Medeski Martin & Wood. He plays the acoustic piano and an eclectic array of keyboards, including the Hammond B3 organ, melodica, mellotron, clavinet, ARP String Ensemble, Wurlitzer electric piano, Moog Voyager Synthesizer, Wurlitzer 7300 Combo Organ, Vox Continental Baroque organ, and Yamaha CS-1 Synthesizer, among others. When playing acoustic piano, Medeski usually plays the Steinway piano and is listed as a Steinway Artist.
Billy Martin is an American jazz drummer, best known as a member of jazz-funk trio Medeski Martin & Wood.
Steven Bernstein is an American trumpeter, slide trumpeter, arranger/composer and bandleader from New York City. He is best known for his work in The Lounge Lizards, Sex Mob, Spanish Fly and the Millennial Territory Orchestra. Sex Mob's 2006 CD Sexotica was nominated for a Grammy.
Gary Miller, better known by his stage name Dr. Know, is the guitarist for Bad Brains, regarded as one of punk rock's most innovative and important bands. Critic Rick Anderson praises Miller's "ability to meld the raw directness of hardcore punk with an almost supernatural virtuosity without sacrificing the power of either approach".
Zaebos: Book of Angels Volume 11 is an album of compositions by John Zorn released in 2008 by experimental jazz fusion trio Medeski Martin & Wood performing compositions from John Zorn's second Masada book, "The Book of Angels" on the Tzadik label.
A Different Time is a solo piano album by John Medeski, featuring performances on a 1924 French Gaveau piano, which was released on the OKeh label in 2013.
Macroscope is the fifth album by The Nels Cline Singers led by American guitarist Nels Cline which was released in April 2014 on the Mack Avenue label.
Initiate is the fourth album by The Nels Cline Singers led by American guitarist Nels Cline which was released in April 2010 on the Cryptogramophone label.
The Giant Pin is the second album by The Nels Cline Singers led by American guitarist Nels Cline which was released in August 2003 on the Cryptogramophone label.
Instrumentals is the debut album by The Nels Cline Singers led by American guitarist Nels Cline which was released in March 2002 on the Cryptogramophone label.
New Monastery is an album by American guitarist Nels Cline performing compositions by Andrew Hill which was released in September 2006 on the Cryptogramophone label.
Coward is a solo album by American guitarist Nels Cline which was released in October 2009 on the Cryptogramophone label.
Habyor is the third album by drummer Jim Black's AlasNoAxis featuring clarinetist/saxophonist Chris Speed, guitarist Hilmar Jensson and bassist Skúli Sverrisson recorded in 2004 and released on the Winter & Winter label.
Only Sky is a solo album by guitarist David Torn recorded in 2014 and released on the ECM label.
Omnisphere is an album by avant-jazz-funk organ trio Medeski, Martin & Wood and the "new music collective" Alarm Will Sound orchestra recorded live at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts in Denver CO.
Juice is a studio album recorded by American jazz guitarist John Scofield together with trio Medeski Martin & Wood. Percussionist Pedrito Martinez was invited as a special guest to play congas and guiro. The album was released on September 15, 2014 by Indirecto label.