Fans of the hybrid jazz trio Medeski, Martin, & Wood might be surprised by Tonic, their live 2000 recording. Certainly there are moments of both funk and abstractions that fans have come to expect in their music, but it is performed as an acoustic set, with the numbers split between the group's originals and covers of such jazz legends as Lee Morgan, John Coltrane, and Bud Powell. Pianist John Medeski, percussionist Billy Martin, and bass player Chris Wood unplugged their instruments for a week-long gig at New York's Tonic nightclub, where this recording took place.

At nearly 70 minutes, the disc could use a little pruning. My advice? Skip the intro entitled “Invocation” where, despite the title, it sounds as if the group was just warming up, and the closing number, a soft and quiet reading of the moody rock classic “Hey Joe” that removes all of the song's building tension. Instead, proceed to the meat of the album, starting with the second track, Morgan’s “Afrique.” The trio gets into this soul-jazz piece and really shines, especially Martin who seamlessly shifts from polyrhythmic beats to swing.

The rhythm section ride a nice groove on Coltrane's "Your Lady," with Medeski's angular and sometimes atonal piano solo making an odd but surprisingly effective counterpoint. Meanwhile, their spirited take on Powell’s “Buster Rides Again,” with Martin soloing on a variety of percussion instruments, is not to be missed.

Of their original material, "Seven Deadlies" is anchored by a soulful theme from which the group sets off on solos, performed individually (piano, bass, drums), as duos (piano and drums, piano and bass, and drums and bass), and together as a trio. After each solo they return to the theme to set up the next solo. I think "Seven Deadlies" is supposed to be a creative expression of the seven deadly sins, but don't ask me to match them up with the solos.

The jaunty “Rise Up” grooves along a la Ramsey Lewis, but with plenty of space for each member to perform a lengthy solo. The abstract "Thaw" sounds like an aural changing of the season from winter to spring, with Martin's rumbling drums and percussion imitating a February storm followed by Medeski rattling off notes like icicles drip-drip-dripping under an afternoon sun.

Overall, I thought Tonic was a good attempt at showing the trio perform acoustically, though I didn't get the sense that the group was playing spontaneously in front of an audience. Medeski in particular seemed to welcome the challenge of playing a piano instead of an electric organ, and this liberated feeling at times led him to depart from the main themes and play his own thing. Martin impressed me with the different uses of percussion he employed, and Wood was solid on bass, if somewhat in the shadow of the other two members. Nice moments on most of the tracks make this a recommendable CD.

Recommended: Yes