Tribal Language of the Midwest: The Bad Plus
When you hear the term “jazz piano trio,” what comes to mind? For many, the term carries tones of elevator music and images of dudes in black berets spouting Charlie Parker licks like it’s the only language they know.
The Bad Plus have made it their mission to break jazz stereotypes with chest-pounding polyrhythms and some of the most intense rock covers ever created. While some jazz neoclassicists claim that they disgrace decent jazz, other critics maintain that they give new hope to a genre on the verge of extinction.
Next week The Bad Plus will bring their controversial repertoire to an already eclectic 10KLF. The performance should serve as a homecoming of sorts, given that they have their roots in the Midwest (Minn. and Wis.). Pianist Ethan Iverson claims it is their Midwestern roots that account for The Bad Plus’s sound.
“I think it’s almost a tribal language that we share,” he said. “I think it’s unusual to think of the Midwest, or the area of Minnesota and Wisconsin as a tribe, but at the same time there’s some sort of cultural ethos that we all share and understand as our birth rite, and I think that sound comes out in The Bad Plus.”
The Bad Plus have played big festivals before, like Bonnaroo, for example, but according to Iverson, “since we are from Minnesota, in a way our musical language is best understood there in the Midwest, so I think we have a great chance to sort of play for some homies, you know? It’s really cool.”
If their musical language is best understood in the Midwest, then we must be some intelligent folk. They play in a realm that is the highest echelon of musical thought. Iverson’s piano playing is beyond phenomenal. His hands move independently as if controlled by separate brains. Nevertheless, they have had to deal with some negative criticism.
“There’s been a lot written about us,” he said, “and some of it’s incredibly positive… and some of it’s been negative, and whatever. We just do what we do.”
At the end of the day, it’s connecting with an audience that gives The Bad Plus their thrills. Iverson said, “I do feel good when a young kid comes up to me after the show and says, ‘I didn’t know that I liked jazz, I think I’m going to check it out now.’ I feel really great when that happens.”
Whether or not you have a stance on the neoclassical vs. contemporary jazz schism, The Bad Plus are straight-up homegrown entertainers.
Beyond the musical theory and mind-bending polyrhythms, they have a unique style that has gained global recognition. No matter what aspect of music tickles your fancy, The Bad Plus have it by the crap load. Check out the show and you will undoubtedly be amazed.
The Bad Plus: Field Stage, 10KLF; Sat., July 26, 2 p.m.
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