Product Description

When John Medeski, Chris Wood and Billy Martin go into the studio to record any new album, they re never sure what will emerge. It was no different when the trio gathered in an upstate New York studio last year with a few concepts, a few musical ideas and a few friends, to create Let s Go Everywhere, the first recording designed to please their youngest fans.

The group settled on the idea of a journey, of travel both literal and figurative. It proved to be a motivating concept. But we didn t have much going in, says Wood. It was a thread we followed as we improvised, composed and working through each piece on the spot. We call it spontaneous composition. Martin agrees that we really had very little figured out. Maybe a few ideas about a beat or a nursery rhyme we liked, but we went into the studio not knowing what would happen.

Then the fun part began. Wood and Martin enlisted vocals from their children Nissa and Dakota. In the perfect party song, the band gets into a funky groove that stops suddenly, prompting enthusiastic young voices to shout, Where s the Music? and the music to start up again. We got that idea from our kids love of musical chairs, explains Wood. As the party continued, the trio brought in other friends to add to the musical journey.

All three band members see Let s Go Everywhere as an opportunity to play music they like without talking down to kids. Kids are really quick, Medeski says. We don t need to treat them like idiots. Wood agrees that kids are like sponges. We like to introduce our own kids to a huge range of music, and they love all kinds of sounds. Martin calls this album one of my favorite records, one of the best we ve ever done and says it brought the band members closer together then ever. It really sparked a new direction for us in many ways.

Track Listing

1. Waking Up
2. Let's Go Everywhere
3. Cat Creeps
4. The Train Song
5. Where's the Music?
6. Pat a Cake
7. Pirates Don't Take Baths
8. Far East Sweets
9. On an Airplane
10. The Squalb
11. Let's Go
12. Old Paint
13. Hickory Dickory Dock
14. All Around the Kitchen
15. We're All Connected

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8787 in Music
• Brand: MEDESKI,MARTIN & WO
• Released on: 2008-01-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .16 pounds

Amazon.com
Let's Go Everywhere is the kind of record that kids-music insiders get all wound up about, and for a reason that can be summed up in two tidy little words: it's awesome. Yes, when classifications must be made, Medeski Martin & Wood are sometimes thrown into the jazz genre. And yes, as musicians go, they're a pretty sophisticated outfit. But that hasn't prevented them from maintaining a direct line with their pirate- and pat-a-cake-loving sides. Everywhere rules because it's un-self-consciously funky ("Cat Creep"), uncondescendingly cool ("Where's The Music"), and unspookily moody ("Far East Sweets"). It's so obviously the product of three guys who know how to grow grooves, but also know how to grow bonds with 4-year-olds, that it makes other kids albums seem audaciously contrived, not to mention intolerably boring. Retentive types won't flinch from filing it alongside classics such as Schoolhouse Rock, Really Rosie, and the Sesame Street compilations. And four out of five preschoolers--maybe more like 499 out of 500--won't disagree: Medeski Martin & Wood merit the inclusion. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

Should Somebody Get This If They Don't Have Kids?
"Let's Go Everywhere" is a fantastic listen for kids and their parents. Children's albums typically hire mediocre studio musicians, run a cheap production and talk down to kids. In this sense, "Let's Go Everywhere" transcends the typical children's album. There is a balance of vocal oriented songs and the type of funk infused Rock instrumentals that have become the hallmark of Medeski, Martin and Wood (MMW). In addition to Rock and Jazz, the recording is threaded with tones of R&B and the Blues. The songs that feature vocals are good. While 'Pirates Don't Take Baths' is a highlight, the title track is the blockbuster. 'Let's Go Everywhere' is a reworked version of the classic 'I've Been Everywhere.' Most are familiar with the Country tune through Hank Snow or Johnny Cash. As done by MMW, the song is a funky call to travel. The ditty will travel on a loop through any listener's mind, long after the stereo is turned off. A few tracks on this project even feature children doing spoken word and some singing. 'The Squalb' is an entertaining spoken word story. 'Old Paint' offers an introspective retelling of the cowboy song. One of the benefits of this project is that it is very catchy; the musical hooks will quickly grab any listener. The downside of catchy music is that it tends to get old quickly. Indeed, while this is a fun listen, it doesn't have the staying power of MMW's typical fare. All in all, the answer to the question posed by the title of this review is yes! There's material here that is sure to become part of MMW's cherished studio canon. "Let's Go Everywhere" has something for both adults and children. While the descriptor "all ages" is used a little too loosely to describe children's media, it really fits "Let's Go Everywhere."

a family album
i was pretty excited to buy this album, because i've been a long time fan of MMW. i was, i'll admit skeptical as to how my two boys would react. but i have to say i think that they like it as much as i do, so it's been the sole resident in the kitchen stereo since it came home.

and that's the best part.

it's not just for kids and tolerated by adults, nor for adults and tolerated by kids.

every one in my house loves it.

Another great album from a great band!
I bought this album knowing MMW's material pretty well. I got it for my best friends' daughter. (8 months old) MMW didn't disapoint once again! This is a great kids album from one of the most creative groups out there today. My niece loves it, and I'm glad to be able to start her off with great music that I enjoy, (and that she can relate to).
If you're reading this, buy any of the other MMW albums, and you will not regret it. (I suggest Shack Man. Personally my favorite) AND, go see them live! The live shows are amazing to say the least. Enjoy!