Artist The Wood Brothers

The Wood Brothers features Medeski Martin & Wood bassist Chris Wood and brother Oliver. Though both became professional musicians after graduating from high school in Boulder, Colorado, their paths diverged: Guitarist Oliver moved to Georgia and focused on rootsy folk-blues, while Chris ended up in New York pushing the boundaries of jammy jazz with MMW. But the two remained close, maintaining a connection that eventually grew into a full-fledged collaboration on the duo’s 2006 debut, called Ways Not To Lose. 2009’s Up Above My Head is a collection of eight covers of songs by artists like The Beatles, Allen Toussaint, and Steve Earle. The Wood Brothers’ latest album, Smoke Ring Halo, was released earlier this year.

Updated 03/21/2011