It is quite the rare thing for a jazz band to stay together for longer than 1-2 years, and yet we have these Midwesterners, The Bad Plus, who’ve been recording and touring for over a decade, not to mention that they’ve played together since Bush I was president. What’s even more impressive is that with the novelty wearing off of their signature sound, TBP still is able to put out material that sounds fresh, curious and quite musical.
The drums don’t quite dominate the way their earlier material displayed, yet they can still deliver some heavy metal thunder as on “Sing for a Silver Dollar.” At this stage, they are also able to create ECM-ish type moods, with a spacious and gentle touch on “In Stitches” while still keeping an incessant and quirky rhythm on material like “Seven Minute Mind” or the cooking “I Want To Feel Good Pt 2.” Reid Anderson’s bass can be both swinging and yet experimental, as he adds electronics and synth work her and there, and Ethan Iverson’s touch on piano has a playful dexterity that makes you hang in there with him, as on the hectic “Re-elect That.” Still faithful to themselves after all these years.
Eone Music
www.thebadplus.com