SPEC Jazz and Grooves announced last week that Medeski Martin & Wood, or MMW, will perform at its annual spring show on Feb. 19 at 8:30 p.m. in Irvine Auditorium.
An American jazz trio formed in Brooklyn in 1991, MMW is composed of John Medeski on the organ and keyboards, Billy Martin on drums and percussion and Chris Wood on acoustic and electric bass.
Organizers said their choice was largely based on a student-opinion survey.
"From the SPEC survey earlier in the year, it seemed like the only three jazz musicians most people really knew were Miles Davis, John Coltrane and MMW," said College senior and SPEC Jazz and Grooves co-director Joe Gross.
"And while we'd love to have Miles Davis or John Coltrane, they've both been dead for a very long time, so we decided to go with MMW," he said.
But some students said that, while they are looking forward to the show, MMW is not a well-known name.
"I've never heard of MMW, but I think it's really good that they're bringing a jazz group to Penn," said Engineering and Wharton freshman Gokul Mohan.
SPEC does not disclose financial arrangments, and declined to say the cost of the show.
The band is known for its improvisation during live performances and has done covers of artists such as Bob Marley and Thelonious Monk in addition to original tunes. Most recently, MMW released Let's Go Everywhere, a children's album.
No stranger to Penn, the band played in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology 10 years ago and has also performed at the Kimmel Center and other venues throughout Philadelphia.
This show will mark the kickoff of MMW's winter tour and will feature the live debut of songs from the band's winter album, which will be recorded at the end of the tour. The band is planning to record four albums this year that correspond with the four seasons.
In the past, Jazz and Grooves' annual spring show has presented artists such as Tea Leaf Green and Branford Marsalis. Earlier this year, Jazz and Grooves staged its first annual fall show, a smaller version of the spring show that featured New Orleans jazz organist Robert Walter of the Greyboy Allstars.
Gross said he expects a large turnout for the performance.
"This isn't your grandparents' jazz trio," said Gross. "They manage to push the envelope and keep everybody dancing at the same time."
Students can purchase tickets for $10 on Locust Walk beginning today. The show is also opened to the general public for $30 at www.upenn.tickets.musictoday.com. Tickets will be available the day of the performance at the Irvine box office for a $5 surcharge.
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