As The Bad Plus round the corner on their second full length as a guitar/saxophone/bass/drums quartet as opposed to a piano trio I am getting more drawn into their new textures. The opening track on the new album, Complex Emotions, is a Reid Anderson penned tune called “Grid/Ocean.” This song stood out to me for the very distinct space that Chris Speed’s tenor sax and Ben Monder’s guitar are occupying. As the group works to a climax towards the end of the song Monder’s guitar is washed out, functioning like an atmospheric bed over the rhythm section. Speed’s tenor is more narrative and more direct throughout the piece and even when he’s working in unison with Monder’s guitar at the top of the tune the saxophone sounds distinct. I tip my hat to the Bad Plus for finding their way into a new lineup and sharing the songwriting duties as they continue to serve as one of the most consistently exciting groups in jazz today. I hope some of the new material makes its way onto the set lists for their long running December residency at the Dakota:
Hot New Local Singles highlights new, local songs. Minnesota has a lot of great jazz, funk, soul, and jazz- adjacent music, and Jazz88 is highlighting what is fresh.
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