The audience present for the 8:30 p.m. Bad Plus set last evening leaned more toward curious observers than diehard fans. It was difficult to suspect the sort of crowd that would take interest in the piano, bass, and drum trio, and even harder to guess what aspect of the group appealed to whom. Some seemed to favor the band's groove-heavy material, nodding their heads when Reid Anderson's limber upright-bass figures coalesced with Dave King's propulsive beats in a way that has drawn comparisons t
John ChristensonThe Bad Plus is known for its clever re-imaginings of songs associated with rock, pop and classical music. But when it's show time, the critically acclaimed jazz trio favors spontaneity over calculation. "We have a pretty large repertoire at this point, and the band has been together for ten years strong now, so we just kind of decide about five minutes before we go on stage what we're going to play," says bassist Reid Anderson.
"If we have a multi-night run, and if we hit on
