Let's Go Everywhere

3 Stars

Experimental-jazz trio John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood may be reaching out to a younger audience, but their trademark funkadelia remains intact. Far from alienating, the early-'70s groove on these tracks (some of them instrumental) can transform Hokey-Pokeying birthday partiers into a pretween Mod Squad. Meanwhile, parents can close their eyes and go back to a cooler version of their own youths-you can almost hear the wood paneling, lava lamps, and shag rugs. It's still kid music, though: The requisite pirate song is present and accounted for, as are multiple nursery rhymes. MMW (as their adult fans know them) even make "All Around the Kitchen"-possibly 2007's most covered children's song-fresh and different. -Ages 2 to 6