Okay, so maybe jazz fusion trio Medeski Martin & Wood, coming to the State Theatre tonight, isn’t technically a funk band, but anyone who has heard them before can attest to the obvious influence funk has on their music. Of course, their live shows do occasionally tend to incorporate epic improvisational odysseys in modern jazz fashion.

The band will play at 8 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $25.

Fans of Funk and R&B music should be rejoicing. This show will be the second featuring a soulful group that incorporates a variety of genres that the State Theatre has put on in less than a month, after Robert Randolph and the Family Band performed on October 26. In fact, John Medeski, the trio’s keyboard player, has collaborated with Randolph in the past.

MMW should appeal to a large base, from R&B and hip hop fans to those who like jazz to followers of the jam band circuit. In fact, avid jam band fans might recognize the band from tours on that circuit with groups like Phish. On the jazz front, they have worked closely with John Scofield and have delved into avant-garde music, leading to the coinage of the term “avant-groove” to describe their style.

So does this mean the State Theatre is trying to reach out to a more diverse set of music lovers with these shows? Maybe. At any rate, if you enjoy music that draws on heavy grooves, produces epic solos, and experiments with various styles, then this concert is definitely for you. Sit back and enjoy the show.