It's hard to put Medeski, Martin and Wood into any category (and they hate it when critics do), but there is one undeniable feature of their music. It grooves.And grooving is exactly what the crowd did at MMW's sold-out show on April 1st at Seattle's Moore Theater. Without question, the New York-based trio is rooted in the traditions (or lack thereof) of improvisational jazz. But they're not really jazz, and they're certainly not rock. And don't even think of referring to their music as fusion, the term they reportedly call the "f" word. Bassist Chris Wood says that if a category must be used, simply call Medeski Martin and Wood "groove music".

Their Seattle show was representative of what the trio is doing on their latest tour, in support of their recent Blue Note release, Combustication. The first set was almost entirely acoustic, with Wood thumping a standup bass and keyboardist John Medeski getting more sounds and tones out of a Yamaha baby grand piano than one would imagine possible. Medeski in particular utilizes dissonance and unusual phrasing to create the unique sound of MMW's music.

The first set ended with a fun little jam that was the ultimate in minimalist, acoustic music - Medeski picked up a mouth organ, strolled out to the front of stage, and was joined by drummer Billy Martin, who carried only a tambourine. With Wood thumping along behind them, they created a tight, funky little jam that really had to be heard to be believed. They got more music out of those three simple instruments than some bands create in an entire set.

After a short break, collaborator DJ Logic joined the trio on turntables as Medeski went to his array of organs and electric keyboards. Most people automatically think ''hip-hop'' when they see ''DJ'' associated with music. Not so with MMW. Logic is the rare DJ who really plays the turntable. The fact that his contributions compliment and enhance MMW's electric sound without overshadowing it testifies to his musicianship. Add in the fact that MMW don't use a set list - set lists are anathema to jam bands, which MMW certainly are - and DJ Logic's contributions to the overall sound are even more impressive.

While most of crowd remained in their seats during the acoustic first set, sitting wasn't really an option during the second set. When Martin lays down the groove, bodies move. The entire second set was MMW's trademark groove jam, with astonishing improvisation moves thrown in for good measure. The Moore Theater got a bit hot and crowded as the crowd got swept up in the music, but few seemed to care. Note to Seattle-area concert promoters: book this band into one of our outdoor venues! Washington state is blessed with some truly outstanding outdoor venues, and these guys (and their audience) are a perfect fit.

In the meantime, Blue Note will release the Combustication Remix EP on April 20th. Back in 1997, the band released an EP of remixes of Bubblehouse, a particularly cool track from their CD, Shackman. Apparently, many producers and DJ's have informed the band their music really lends itself to remixes and sampling. It's a testament to the trio's creativity and overall sound that it continues to inspire new music in others.