John Medeski’s Mad Skillet will issue their self-titled debut album through Medeski Martin & Wood’s Indirecto Records imprint on November 9. Keyboardist John Medeski, guitarist Will Bernard, drummer Terence Higgins and sousaphone master Kirk Joseph shared the LP’s first single, “Invincible Bubble.”
The band originally came together for a late-night gig during the 2015 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. “Something happens there. There’s something in the air, the water, the food,” said Medeski of the Crescent City. “Every time we play, it really is magical. We get together and this thing lifts. It has a life of its own, beyond any of us. There’s a lot of ESP in New Orleans music. There’s a certain feel that New Orleans guys have that you can’t get anywhere else.”
John Medeski’s Mad Skillet recorded the nine-track album at the Living Room, a studio housed in a Depression-era church just across the Mississippi from NOLA. The keyboardist tapped longtime friend and collaborator Scotty Hard to help with production. Bernard and Joseph each contributed songs to the album, while a pair of tunes are spontaneous group compositions. There’s also a cover of Sun Ra’s “The Golden Lady” in addition to a number of tracks penned by Medeski.
The band will soon embark on a 13-date U.S. Tour in support of the album. Stream the lead single “Invincible Bubble” below:
John Medeski’s Mad Skillet Tracklist
- Man About Town
- Invincible Bubble
- Tuna In A Can
- Golden Lady
- Piri Piri
- Psychedelic Rhino
- Little Miss Piggy
- Adele
- The Heart of Soul
