THE BAD PLUS
Genres: Nu Jazz, Third Stream, Eclectic Fusion • United States

Progressive jazz scientists who found a way to put a modern rock-oriented spin on jazz while still honoring its forward-thinking traditions. An acclaimed, genre-bending jazz trio, the Bad Plus play a maverick combination of originals and covers that blur the lines between post-bop and rock. Formed in 1989, the group originally featured longtime friends pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer David King. Their self-titled 2001 debut included reinventions of pop songs including ABBA's "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." They continually sought to redefine the jazz piano as a work in progress: All members wrote, and all soloed. Their common love for rock and pop songs continued. On 2007's Prog, they juxtaposed jazz with classical music in addition to pop; 2008's For All I Care was comprised entirely of covers, and was, for the first time, fronted by vocalist Wendy Lewis. In 2014, the read more...