If going to church meant more experiences like this, I’d probably be a regular:

That’s a clip of Robert Randolph, John Medeski and the North Mississippi All-Stars, during their too-short tour in December as The Word. It’s not unusual for me to find out about the really good stuff until after the fact; in this case, I read about this one-off band over the weekend, when Rolling Stone pegged them as the best jam band of 2008.

(Yes. I also noted that the year is not even half over. I imagine Jann Wenner’s brain is pretty crispy by now.)

Medeski, of Medeski Martin and Wood, set out to make a record back in 2001 with the North Mississippi All-Stars, and asked Robert Randolph to sit in for a few tracks. A “few tracks” turned into an entire album — all instrumental, mostly gospel, featuring Randolph’s fuzzed-out pedal steel, Medeski’s keyboards and the NMAS rhythm machine churning in the background.

I downloaded the record immediately — you’ll find it on iTunes or emusic — and wasn’t disappointed. I also followed Rolling Stone’s advice and found a copy of their show at Philly’s Electric Factory in December. It’s a monster — and I mean that in a good way — and if you’re inclined to play with bit torrent downloads, you can find your copy here.

This is swampy, blues-soaked gospel music, equally suitable for a church or a roadhouse. Listen, and you’ll see the light.