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The Bad Plus

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Bad Plus is an American jazz group from Minneapolis, founded in 2000 by the pianist Ethan Iverson, the bassist Reid Anderson and the drummer David King. The three had been playing together since 1989. Their first album, titled The Bad Plus, was released on Fresh Sound after they had given only three performances. A performance at the Village Vanguard brought them to the attention of Columbia Records, which signed them in 2002. The debut on Columbia, These Are the Vistas, appeared in 2003, followed by Give in 2004 and Suspicious Activity? in 2005.

Music and breakthrough

Later came Prog in 2007 and For All I Care in 2008, with the singer Wendy Lewis. In 2011 they played their version of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. In 2017 Iverson left and Orrin Evans came in on piano. Since 2021 the group has consisted of Anderson and King with the guitarist Ben Monder and the saxophonist Chris Speed.

Influence

The trio's music combines modern, avant-garde jazz with influences from rock and pop. The group recorded covers of, among others, Nirvana, Aphex Twin, Blondie, Pink Floyd, Pixies, Rush, Black Sabbath and Bee Gees. That fits a jazz world in which musicians no longer see the music of their own youth as alien. The trio shows that an acoustic piano trio with a rock beat can sound hard without using a guitar or electronics.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Smells Like Teen Spirit and first try to recognise Nirvana's song in the melody on piano. Then notice how bass and drums make the piece heavy, even without an electric guitar.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsThe new piano trio