This Friday, March 28th, The Bad Plus will take the stage at the Treefort Music Festival, bringing their dynamic and boundary-pushing sound to eager fans. Get your tickets now for what promises to be an electrifying performance. CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
With the release of their vibrant 2022 self-titled album, The Bad Plus redefined their identity in a way no one could have anticipated. After 21 years of pioneering the piano-bass-drums trio format, founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) transformed the group into an adventurous quartet with the addition of guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed.
The band continues to explore new musical frontiers with their latest album, Complex Emotions. The title stems from a long-held mantra of Anderson and King, encapsulating the broad spectrum of emotions they seek to express through their music. This new project solidifies the current lineup’s unique chemistry and creative direction.
“With this new album and this new batch of music, we're planting a flag to say that this version of the band has really come into its own,” Anderson explains.
Complex Emotions delivers a fresh yet unmistakable Bad Plus sound, blending collective improvisation, song-driven compositions, and unexpected sonic textures, including subtle synth elements woven into Monder’s ambient guitar landscapes. The result is an album that expands the group’s artistic vision while remaining true to their signature aesthetic.
“We have a Duchampian relationship to the music,” King adds, referencing the avant-garde artist Marcel Duchamp. “You get to the point where you love the thing so much that you're able to look at it prismatically. You can see every single side: the beauty and depth, the absurdity and the insanity, the masculinity and the gentleness.”
The Bad Plus has long been known for embracing unconventional approaches, from their early trio work featuring surprising covers (ranging from Ornette Coleman to Nirvana) to collaborations with Wendy Lewis, Joshua Redman, and even an ambitious reimagining of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Their latest evolution with Speed and Monder represents another bold step forward in a career defined by fearless reinvention.
Both new members bring impressive pedigrees: Speed has performed with innovative ensembles like Tim Berne’s Bloodcount and John Hollenbeck’s Claudia Quintet, while Monder, a revered guitarist, contributed to David Bowie’s Blackstar and has collaborated with jazz luminaries such as Paul Motian and Maria Schneider.
The new album showcases the diverse compositional voices within the quartet. Anderson’s contributions include the atmospheric “Grid/Ocean” and the ferocious “French Horns,” while King’s “Casa Ben” and “Tyrone’s Flamingo” add rhythmic intrigue. Speed’s “Cupcake One” and Monder’s haunting “Li Po” further expand the band’s sonic landscape.
Through all these transformations, The Bad Plus remains unwavering in its core philosophy: songcraft above all. “The song is number one,” King emphasizes. “Our dedication to that allows us to get into the complex emotion zone.”
Catch The Bad Plus at Treefort Music Festival this Friday and experience their next chapter live. Don’t miss your chance to witness one of jazz’s most daring and ever-evolving bands in action. Grab your tickets now!
