Catching New Grooves After a Great Escape

The title of Medeski Martin & Wood’s fourth recording, “Shack-man” (Gramavision), doesn’t refer to a certain, sizable L.A. Laker. Instead, it denotes the island getaway where the new CD was recorded.

“We actually recorded in a plywood shack,” the band’s keyboardist, John Medeski, says. “It’s out in the middle of the Hawaiian jungle, completely off the grid. There’s a lot of open air there and we use mosquito netting when we sleep. There’s no electricity. Part of the power [to record] came from solar panels and 12-volt batteries. Part of it came from an old World War II vintage generator that we had dragged over.”

From their first, ambitious piano trio release in 1993, “Notes From the Underground,” MM&W; has evolved into an accessible, electric groove trio that grinds out improvisations above funk, reggae and jazz rhythms. Making as many as 200 appearances a year (they’ll be at the El Rey Theatre with the Charlie Hunter Quartet on Saturday), the grunge-jazz band has picked up more than a few followers, many of them young.

“Some of our fans are the type that like to follow the band around,” Medeski, 31, says. “So when we’re ready to take a break, we want to go as far away from the action as we can. It’s the only time we can create--when we’re alone with the people we want to be with.”

During their early visits to the unnamed island, Medeski, bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin found the shack’s acoustics particularly suited to the instrumentation of organ and electric piano, upright or electric bass and drums.

“The room has an incredibly resonant sound, probably from the thinness of the plywood. When [the owner] wanted to put an extension on it we had to convince him to use the same cheap plywood to keep that sound.”

Despite the difficult logistics, the trio took advantage of the acoustics and the privacy to record at their Hawaiian escape. They enlisted the help of noted jazz recording engineer David Baker and the 11 tracks were recorded in June with, as the album’s notes reveal, “a little help from the sun.”

Medeski says he favors the raw, low-tech sound of Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano and Clavinet over today’s sophisticated synthesizers.

“I like the more mechanical sounds as opposed to the digital. [The organ and the Wurlitzer] have generally one sound that can be played with lots of nuance and variety. [The digital synthesizers] have a thousand sounds, but without the nuance or variety.”

“Shack-man” establishes MM&W;’s roots in the organ trios of the ‘50s and ‘60s as well as holding reminders of the early fusion experiments of Miles Davis, the Tony Williams Lifetime and others.

“But we’re not so much influenced by [Davis and Williams] as by the groups that influenced them,” Medeski says. “When Miles was trying to reach a younger audience, he was listening to Sly and James Brown. Though we’re more influenced by the Meters and the groove organ trios, that sound is in our music, too, with the jazz spirit of improvisation. We haven’t set out to be just another fusion band.”

Medeski, who says the group’s core audience is in the 15- to 25-year-old range, is glad to be appearing with guitarist Charlie Hunter’s quartet. “We often end up getting lumped with hippie jam bands, which is fine, but not really the kind of musical experience we want to present. We want to bring the kids something different, something educational, and that’s what Charlie’s band does.”

* Medeski Martin & Wood and the Charlie Hunter Quartet play the El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd.; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. $15. (213) 936-4790.

Local Music: Longtime Mel Torme bassist John Leitham’s “Lefty Leaps In” (USA Music) brings together an array of top-shelf West Coast musicians, including saxophonist Pete Christlie and Rickey Woodard, drummers Roy McCurdy and Jeff Hamilton, pianist Tom Ranier and guitarist Barry Zweig, on tunes from Joe Henderson, Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans and others as well as Leitham’s title number. It’s a sophisticated, swinging affair that showcases its leader’s propulsive support and lyrical way with a solo. . . . Pianist Billy Childs has released his first recording on the Shanachie label, “The Child Within.” It highlights the L.A. native’s involved play and composing skills. He’s joined by trumpeter Terence Blanchard, bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, among others. . . . One of the city’s best Latin bands, the Estrada Brothers, can be heard on their first Milestone release, “Get Out of My Way.” The six-piece ensemble gets an especially rich sound with its blend of vibes, horns and percussion. . . . Pianist, vocalist, composer and local lounge treasure Betty Bryant has released “Come Laugh With Me” on her own Bry-Mar Music. Available from Betty Bryant, P.O. Box 19377, Los Angeles, CA 90019; $17, includes tax, shipping and handling.

Benefit: Vocalist Benard Igner, the composer of “Everything Must Change,” will join the Gerald Wilson Orchestra tonight for “Jazz 2000,” a scholarship benefit concert for Prairie View A&M; University. The event, which also includes Clora Bryant, saxophonist Alvin L. Hayes Jr.’s combo and the Nicholas Sister Dance Team, is scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Marla Gibbs Vision Theater, 3341 W. 43rd Place. Tickets are $30, VIP seating is $50. (213) 295-9685.