When jazz trio Medeski, Martin and Wood took the stage April 18, things seemed a bit strange.

Young lions like Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton would have easily slipped (silk shirts and all) into the posh, retro atmosphere of downtown Chicago’s Symphony Center, but MMW’s odd combination of hippie sensibilities and ethnic rhythms was an odd fit.

And then there was the crowd. These types of so-called haute couture venues sell many of their tickets as packages, most of which are picked up by the same rich folks that have their names on the “Special Thanks To” plaque. So Chicago’s elite sat next to MMW’s traditional crowd, an interesting blend of nerds, hippies and pseudo-jazzers like me.

But when John Medeski laid down his delicate, opening chords, and the trio slipped into Santamaria’s “Afro Blue” — instead of a funky number like “Uninvisible” or “I Wanna Ride You” — the whole situation made sense.

The same band that, just two days earlier, had moved 500 college kids with intoxicating funk at Madison’s Barrymore Theatre was now playing in the true jazz tradition, improvising their way through a John Coltrane cover. The music fit the venue, the fans appreciated the music, and I thought to myself: “This is how jazz should be.”

It might seem obvious to start a modern jazz column by talking about Medeski, Martin and Wood, but really — they’re that good. MMW satisfies the music and cultural “requirements” of jazz, playing improvised, progressive music that borrows heavily from music of the past and present, including hip-hop, funk, R&B and yes — other jazz.

And most importantly, they’re playing music that people can feel and connect with, just as Glenn Miller’s orchestra played roaring dance music for the roaring ’20s, and Charlie Parker played chaotic bop for a chaotic post-war America.

Because of their dynamic sound and adaptability, MMW is arguably responsible for attracting more people to jazz than any other group or artist in recent years. They have not achieved widespread popularity (and probably never will, at least in a pop music kind of way), but have captured the attention of many.

Their albums sell well, and they’ve graced high-profile publications like The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune (not to mention every jazz magazine at least once). MMW has an eclectic sound that draws listeners from the jam scene, the jazz scene and those music lovers who simply know good stuff when they hear it.

Make no mistake–MMW is not a sell-out group. Even through a considerable amount of commercial popularity and media exposure, the trio has stayed very true to its roots. The aforementioned adaptive quality of the group would seem to contradict this, but — to be totally blunt — that is part of my point.

It is important to note that, just like the tenuously related artists mentioned in my first column, the particulars of the sound are irrelevant in describing today’s true jazz music. That MMW can exist in the pure jazz tradition of musical progress and cultural connectivity — without sounding like the traditional notion of what jazz “should” sound like — is a testament to the uniqueness of today’s jazz landscape.

Back at the Symphony Center, John Medeski, Billy Martin and Chris Wood cruised gracefully through a set of sometimes calming, sometimes chaotic tunes, old and new.

“Your Lady,” a Coltrane masterpiece, was played after a two-year hiatus. The trio hit “Legalize It” (much to the excitement of some) and closed with “Hey Joe” (yes, that “Hey Joe”) before playing the funky “I Wanna Ride You” as an encore.

The set was interesting, somewhat unexpected and just about perfect for that venue on that night with that crowd. And damn, it was good.

Who says jazz is dead?

“Jazz Activist” runs every second Tuesday in the Herald. In the meantime, John Zeratsky may be spotted at johnzeratsky.com or blogosphere.us. He’d love to know what you think (about anything), so stop by sometime and say “howdy.” John can be reached at [email protected].