@bushwood_a_dump said:

Well done Schvice!

Like others have said, these cats competing in this are on another level. I can't hang, and that's okay, but it is a lot of fun to watch and make feeble attempts at the weekly theory.

Time didn't permit this week, but my armchair theory, once the hint was revealed, was that all three clips were (way out) versions of Hydrogen, which is adjacent to Mike's (following the Forbin/McGrupp reference). It also seemed that each clip contained extra, or more than usual, percussion. So I was chasing guest percussionists and looking at the era when Trey had his mini-kit.

Obviously not the right rabbit hole, but kudos to all who keep the MJM alive. Cheers.

I was thinking along those lines too, but even further back - that the middle song was a Hydrogen (based on the hint) and that all three were early 1.0's with percussionists - going back to Daubert perhaps, and the last one maybe w/Santana and Karl Perazzo.