By By Mike Fordham

Judging by the plain and unmarked cover of Billy Martin & Socket’s January 14-15, 2005 album listeners might not be sure what they’re getting. Even after listening to the album, it still might not be apparent.

Martin’s day job is that of drummer and percussionist for quirky jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood. Their original take on jazz sometimes borders on the avant-garde. With Socket, there is no question that the music is incredibly experimental. For two nights in January 2005, Martin enlisted a slew of musicians to perform at the avant-garde Manhattan nightclub Tonic. The album was culled from those shows. It would be difficult to call the tracks on the album songs, since the music never has definitive beginnings and endings. All of the tracks blur together. A trumpet might bleat here and there, drums float in and out and people screech and chant seemingly whenever the mood strikes. Weird percussion rings all over the album. “Purification Of Wounds” eventually builds up to a cacophony of sound, built up by walls of distortion and Martin’s furious drumming. This sets the experimental tone for the album. “Transfigured Shelley,” “The Dream Answers” and “Magic Baths,” really are just free-for-all’s with percussion. Even though these tracks lack any resemblance of a song, they possess a child-like willingness to play. “Purification Of Wounds Part II” is a bit more tolerable than other tracks with its reggae/dub beat. “Black Lamp” stands out too, if only for the array of instruments that comprise the tune (violins, bongos, trumpets). Some snaky bass lines begin to lead “Purification Of Wounds Part II” somewhere, but that journey is halted.

For a one-off, Socket is a great release for Martin. It allows him to collaborate and experiment, unlike his role with Medeski Martin & Wood. However, January 14-15, 2005 is still a difficult and frustrating listen.