What used to be The Ethan Iverson Trio was turned into this version as the other two musicians--bassist Reid Anderson and drummer David King--were produced as equal parts in the mix. The result is a 21st century kind of Bill Evans Trio, where each player gets one channel of the mix as the group finds a way to amalgamate three distinct approaches, tied together by a common theme. For the most part, it works, especially when they cross over into rock territory for material. The group's take on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" removes the dissonance and grills the basic angst of the song into a tour de force. Some classically Latin flavorings also contribute to the ambiance; "Silence Is The Question" sounds like Ravel trying to be a jazz star. Iverson's chord-heavy piano work keeps things in balance while Anderson's deeply resonant bass explores all the crevices and King's percussive pounding never stops for a breath.
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis March 2003Reviewed by Brett MiottiJazz Trio produced by Tchad Blake (Soul Coughing, Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney) releases debut on Columbia Records. This record is awesome! The Bad Plus are a jazz trio that utilizes piano, upright bass and drums. I've been trying to expand my tastes a bit by getting into some jazz and this is some pretty cool stuff. The Bad Plus have even recorded an interesting cover of…Similar sounding releases
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