The Bad Plus is a controversial group in Jazz circles. Just like when Ornette Coleman threw chord changes out the window, these guys have been labeled jazz punks for throwing the Great American Songbook out the very same window and playing the music that they grew up with.

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Defenstration would be a great name for a TBP tune.



Jazz musicians are always full of surprises, starting with the opening tune, "Everywhere You Turn", off of their Vistas album. A slow building creeper which smolders in its restraint. It was the oppposite of what I expected.



Drummer Dave King is the most outgoing of the group. He had no problem letting people know how much he enjoyed his job.





Midway through the show, I realized that they hadn't played a cover yet. For a band who's known for using old rock tunes as inspiration, this was a bold statement. Their new album, Never Stop, has no covers either.





The amount of interplay and listening going on among the trio was palpable. The only other trio that can turn on a dime like them would be the rhythm section in Miles' second quintet in the 60s. They drew from their entire (original) catalog until the second encore, when they finally broke the tension with Aphex Twin's, "Flim".



Being this close to this music is absolutely electric.



Thanks to Owl and Bear for the pass.

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