Starting this Wednesday, January 17th The Bad Plus will be in St. Louis performing two shows nightly through Saturday, January 20th at Jazz At The Bistro. Showtimes start at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm. Visit HERE for the event details and to purchase tickets. The Bad Plus are one of a kind and will be in town when their new album releases. You can experience their music live inside the Ferring Jazz Bistro's great acoustics and feel like you are having dinner with the band.
THE BAD PLUS SET TO RELEASE NEVER STOP II JANUARY 19
NPR FIRST LISTEN STREAMING NOW
"It's an exhilarating document."
-New York Times
"An acoustic piano trio with the combustion properties of a post-punk band...
No other band in the world sounds quite like this."
-NPR
The Bad Plus is excited to announce the release of their new album, Never Stop II on January 19, 2018 (LEGBREAKER RECORDS). NPR's First Listen's posted the album in its entirety today. Never Stop II is the 13th studio recording from The Bad Plus, and the first featuring pianist Orrin Evans alongside founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums). It is a rebirth and also an affirmation between three musicians, enriching the trajectory of this 18-year-old band and its longstanding commitment to creative group improvised music.
LISTEN TO NEVER STOP II VIA NPR's FIRST LISTEN HERE
Upon the departure of original pianist Ethan Iverson, Anderson and King asked longtime friend Orrin Evans to join the band. Evans has been a vital contributor to the modern jazz landscape for more than 20 years with his solo projects and other groups.
Says Evans, "This band feels like family to me. The music has a lived-in quality because of the deep relationships between the band members, and I feel really comfortable within this democratic construct."
Never Stop II features four original compositions by Anderson, two by Evans, and two by King. Two additional bonus tracks written by Anderson are included on the digital download and CD editions of the album.
The album was tracked live in the studio with no overdubs, guided by longtime engineer Pete Rende in September 2017 in New York City. The new lineup rehearsed over several months to prepare the new material and get a feel for improvising together. The resulting record confirms the original band members' idea that The Bad Plus could have a new life while retaining its democratic, leaderless group aesthetic - three composers, three identities, coming together under the umbrella of a band to create one unified sound.
"That, in essence, is the nature of The Bad Plus," says King. "When there is no leader and everyone has a personal responsibility to bring their full selves to the table, no matter what the material, the resulting sound of commitment and open-hearted connection is realized. We have the chance now with Orrin to restate our message: there is no leader, there is only the music."
The band has plans to tour as relentlessly as it always has in 2018-19 in support of the new record and the new lineup. The current itinerary is below. For tour information, please visit: www.thebadplus.com.
Says Anderson, "We feel that Orrin is the perfect component to continue our solidarity, and honor what the fans of this band have come to expect: a unique template for improvised music using acoustic instruments and equal voices."
THE BAD PLUS
NEVER STOP II
January 19, 2018
Track Listing:
Hurricane Birds (Reid Anderson)
Trace (Reid Anderson)
Boffadem (Orrin Evans)
Safe Passage (Reid Anderson)
1983 Regional All-Star (David King)
Salvages (Reid Anderson)
Commitment (Orrin Evans)
Lean in the Archway (David King)
Bonus tracks:
Kerosene II (Reid Anderson)
Seams (Reid Anderson)
