Seldom has a band so radically reformed itself as did The Bad Plus in 2022. The piano trio format was replaced by adding saxophonist Chris Speed and guitarist Ben Monder to the co-founding bass-drum tandem of Reid Anderson and Dave King. While the press materials and the co-founders argue that the core principles of the band remain intact, they sound nothing like the Ethan Iverson or Orrin Evans-led versions of the band, which added a pop-rock and often daring flair to jazz music. The music now is even harder to define, rather genreless and embracing rock, fusion, and even new age sounds.
The band has always been exploratory, delving into covers of Ornette Coleman to Black Sabbath, Cole Porter to Nirvana. Anderson and King say that the title is drawn from a long-standing mantra of the band, but the ‘complex’ might just as well refer to ‘sound’ as now we hear both co-founders adding synths to their arsenal. Gone too are the covers; the material on Complex Emotions is all original music with each member contributing compositions – four from Anderson, two from King, and one each from the newer members. Note: The download has still not caught up with the new configuration as it pictures Orrin Evans with Anderson and King.
Monder’s playing on “A World Lost “on Schneider’s Grammy-winning Data Lords exemplifies his sound as do many tracks on that album. His vision and alternating dark and heavenly ambiance are also fully displayed in his recent career-defining 3-CD Planetarium. Some aspects of his sound on that album appear in the opening “Grid/Ocean,” composed by Anderson, a tune that builds from a gentle beginning to a monstrous crescendo. Monder’s lone composition, the album closer “Li Po” is another of his dark, otherworldly forays, call it a psychedelic whirlwind.
The single “French Horns,” also by Anderson, is a treat for the headphone devotees as sound ricochets from Speed’s tenor to Monder’s guitar while Anderson and King stir up a ferocious rhythm behind the repetitive melody. King cracks a steady snare and multiple rim shots for his own “Casa Ben” as Speed’s tenor and Monder’s guitar form highly lyrical unison lines. Speed focuses on the behind-the-beat, rather jagged “Carrier,” another penned by Anderson. The tenorist makes a series of repetitive statements, answered in turn not only by Monder but also by the synths of the two co-founders, as the sound just seems to float into the ether like suspended sonic clouds. Yet, King’s drumming is so potent, as if backing a rock song. The drumming and Speed’s tenor grow even more intense on the latter’s “Cupcake One” over Anderson’s surging bass line before Monder employs his alternately soaring and shredding technique.
The well-constructed compositions are one element that ties the reconfigured group back to the trio. They are risk oriented but these are through composed pieces, no matter who the composer. King’s “Tyrone’s Flamingo” is one of the more exciting tracks, featuring aggressive playing from all four constituents. It rocks. The band pushes even harder, going full throttle on “Deep Water Sharks,” featuring fierce blowing from Speed and a relentless groove that never lets up.
It’s probably best to dispel any notions of the piano-centric The Bad Plus. They may be called a ‘jazz group’ but could easily fall under another umbrella. This reconfigured model is tight and groove-oriented with vastly different sonics. They surrender to the songs while allowing each individual voice to shine through. It’s musical democracy at work, and it’s working even better this time than on their eponymous 2022 debut.
