MMW has found moderate mainstream success, often working with guitarist John Scofield and touring on the jam band circuit.

The band members were introduced to each other by jazz drummer Bob Moses, who had performed with Medeski and Wood, and was Martin's instructor.

Their first album, Notes from the Underground, is a record of their entirely-acoustic era, but Medeski soon added electric piano (outfitted with distortion pedals and other effects), and began switching back and forth among Hammond organ, Clavinet, Mellotron and other keyboards.

Wood alternated between stand-up and bass guitar, stuck paper behind his strings for a "snare" effect and occasionally employed a drumstick as a slide.

In 2001 John Medeski collaborated with the North Mississippi Allstars and steel guitarist Robert Randolph; together, these five musicians formed The Word, a bluesy gospel instrumental jam band.

In March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Medeski and Martin posted on YouTube an hour-long, live in-studio video performance as "Bandemic" with John Scofield and Jesse Murphy.