John Medeski's Mad Skillet has announced the November 9 release of its self-titled debut album via Medeski Martin & Wood's record label, Indirecto Records. Led by the hugely influential keyboardist and featuring guitarist Will Bernard and the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band rhythm section of sousaphonist Kirk Joseph and drummer Terence Higgins, Mad Skillet is first and foremost a product of New Orleans. The band's inception can be traced back to the late-night sets that go down every year during New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. For years during that annual festival-after-the-festival, Medeski would seek out gigs with Bernard, a New York-based guitarist rooted in jazz, but adept across genres. After traversing various players and configurations, the tandem hooked up with Joseph and Higgins, both of whom Medeski had met when he produced the Dirty Dozen’s 1999 record, Buck Jump. Fiery after-hours shows at spots like the Little Gem Saloon firmed up the band’s profoundly intuitive rapport.

"Something happens there. There's something in the air, the water, the food," says Medeski. "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."

Indeed, Mad Skillet has an X factor that sets it apart from the rest of Medeski's remarkable discography. Throughout the 9-track effort, Higgins finds that elusive space shared among second-line, swing, funk, Afro-Cuban rhythms and hip-hop. Joseph, the scion of the late New Orleans lion Waldren "Frog" Joseph, holds down the low end with a power Medeski calls the “reality factor that comes through with the sousaphone: heart, mind, ears, breath.” As for Bernard, there's "just something that happens to Will in New Orleans that is unexplainable," Medeski says. Recorded at the Living Room, a studio housed in a Depression-era church straight across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans, Mad Skillet finds the guitarist showcasing the scope of his abilities and tones like never before. Medeski's longtime friend and collaborator Scotty Hard provides invaluable sonic guidance at the mixing board.

While Medeski's name is out front, the album reflects a spirit of interplay and equality among members. Bernard contributes the sauntering soul of "Man About Town" and the rocking, Meters-esque workout "Little Miss Piggy." Joseph offers "Adele," whose gorgeous melodica melody evokes desert vistas and Ennio Morricone scores. Two spontaneous group compositions, "Tuna in a Can" and "Psychedelic Rhino," present an engaging variation on the avant-garde. Sun Ra's "The Golden Lady" is marked by atmospheric use of Medeski's Mellotron bass-clarinet timbre and killer spy-movie guitar. The keyboardist's tunes include "Invincible Bubble," (hear/share) a cathartic, open-hearted tribute to his step-daughter; "Piri Piri," with its hip, rapid-fire unison lines; and "The Heart of Soul," for MMW's late booking agent Chip Hooper, featuring masterful slide guitar and hard-grooving R&B piano.

But more than a collection of tunes, Mad Skillet is about an energy and a city. "The hang before you play is just as important as the session," Medeski concludes. "You have to really be open to get to that place, to get to that vibration where it's all coming together."

John Medeski's Mad Skillet embark on a 13-date U.S. tour surrounding the release, beginning with a festival appearance at Utopiafest in Burnet, TX and including shows throughout the Midwest and Northeast.

John Medeski's Mad Skillet
Track Listing

1. Man About Town
2. Invincible Bubble
3. Tuna In A Can
4. Golden Lady
5. Piri Piri
6. Psychedelic Rhino
7. Little Miss Piggy
8. Adele
9. The Heart of Soul 

John Medeski's Mad Skillet
Tour Dates

Nov. 2 - Burnet, TX - Utopiafest
Nov. 5 - Grand Rapids, MI - Elevation at The Intersection
Nov. 6 — Goshen, IN - Ignition Garage
Nov. 7 - Evanston, IL - Space
Nov. 9 - Cincinnati, OH - Ludlow Garage
Nov. 10 - Kent, OH - The Kent Stage
Nov. 11 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Iron Works
Nov. 13 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
Nov. 14 - Cohoes, NY - Cohoes Music Hall
Nov. 15 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
Nov. 16 - Ardmore, PA - Ardmore Music Hall
Nov. 17 - Washington, DC - The Hamilton
Nov. 18 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Lanes