The Bad Plus Joshua Redman review by John McBeath for Jazz Australia
Only one of US trio The Bad Plus’s previous 10 albums in their 20 year history has included a fourth player, and now saxophonist Joshua Redman fits genetically into their rule-breaking audacity.
Australian audiences had an opportunity to hear the trio at this year’s Melbourne International Jazz festival where their new millennium rhythms, intelligently blending post sixties jazz and aspects of indie rock played to capacity houses.
The new album has seven originals by trio members and two by Redman. Bassist Reid Anderson’s Dirty Blonde, something of a signature tune for the trio, opens with the ensemble’s theme statement over its darkly lurching harmonies and drummer David King’s rock rhythm. After pianist Ethan Iverson’s spaced chordings Redman’s tenor embarks on a jagged solo, followed by Iverson’s scampering piano.
Iverson’s composition Country Seat begins with a fast tempo piano and sax unison theme, before breaking into a hurrying fly-over treble and thrusting chord pairs ahead of a blasting free-improv sequence from Redman.
Redman’s piece The Mending, opening with the solo piano’s stately, chiming chords moves into a bluesy mode as bass and brushed drums arrive and eventually the tenor races all over the horn’s range to lapse finally into a relaxed melodic exposition of the tasteful theme.
On stage the piano trio manage to project an entertaining rarity in jazz: a style of self-deprecating humour, as they play their esoteric originals with élan and great ability. The Bad Plus is a piano trio like no other and the addition of Joshua Redman makes this album attractive both to his fans and theirs.
If you would like to read another review visit NPR for Tom Moon’s review.
