The Bad Plus | Teen Ink

The Bad Plus MAG

By Bapalapa2 ELITE, Brooklyn, New York
Bapalapa2 ELITE, Brooklyn, New York
1044 articles 0 photos 1 comment

     The Bad Plus is a revolution in neo rock/jazz and one Sunday in September, they performed phenomenally. Very few bands share their sound and allure. While it is questionable whether they are a traditional jazz trio, there is no doubt that their calling to the experimental and free-form jazz stage is far from a mistake. The Bad Plus is on the rise and soon their presence in the neo jazz/rock community will be recognized (maybe even worshipped) by music-lovers worldwide.

The Bad Plus shook the crowd that Sunday, and their brilliant sound moved the audience to applaud after every song for what seemed an eternity.

The Bad Plus is an avant-garde, unique, and eclectic jazz trio that pulls its material from all types of music. For example, on the album “Give,” they play covers including “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath before moving away from hard rock to a more experimental/jam rock feel with “Velouria.” Among their many covers, Bad Plus fanatics would agree that Radiohead's “Karma Police,” Nirvana's “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Film” by Aphex Twin, dominate.

I saw the trio play at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club in the Deauville Miami Beach Resort Hotel and this intimate venue worked well because fans could see drummer David King, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Reid Anderson. When my mother exclaimed, “Beautiful” after one song, Iverson replied, “Why, thank you.” Before each song, he would explain the story behind it.

After the first set, I was confronted with a slice of heaven when I saw the trio walking toward me. A flood of fans walked up to them, including me, and they had the courtesy to sign my CD and exchange a few words. I mainly talked to Reid Anderson, since I am an up-and-coming jazz electric bassist. I discovered that he lives in Barcelona.

If you have not listened to The Bad Plus, or wish to be dazzled by a free-from-genre type of jazz that is terrific, do yourself a favor and listen to The Bad Plus. The Bad Plus is stunning, groovy, and as for the artists' personalities themselves, quite cool.


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i love this so much!