The Bad Plus is “better than anyone at mixing the sensibilities of post ’60's jazz and indie rock” (The New York Times). Italy’s Doctor 3, led by pianist Danilo Rea, redefine the music of their youth (Neil Young, Paul Simon, and much more) with staggering instrumental prowess.
The term “modern classicists” has the ring of an oxymoron.
Yet, tonight’s two groups, The Bad Plus and Doctor 3,
lend the term some credibility, balancing the classical tradition
of the piano trio with a distinctly modern attack and
musical sensibility.
De facto rock stars of modern jazz, the members of The Bad
Plus come from two distinct backgrounds. Bassist Reid Anderson
and drummer Dave King met as junior high student
musicians in their native Minnesota, both rabid fans of indie
rock and left-of-center jazz. Ethan Iverson, on the other hand,
is a classically trained pianist who listened to classical and jazz
pieces exclusively during his formative years.
Though The Bad Plus has gained a reputation for fearless
group playing and covers of familiar rock and pop tunes, the
group is currently cementing its reputation for sharp and often
humorous original compositions by all three members, as
on its latest album Prog.
Doctor 3 made its SFJAZZ debut in 2003, yet the group
still remains a well-kept secret to all but the most diehard
piano trio fans on this side of the Atlantic. In their native
Italy, pianist Danilo Rea, bassist Enzo Pietropaoli and drummer
Fabrizio Sferra are bonified superstars. Doctor 3 has been
flowing and swinging as a collective unit since 1997. Rea and
Pietropaoli’s relationship goes back even further, the two having
first played together back in 1975. Pietropaoli and Sferra,
in turn, played in a trio led by pianist Enrico Pieranunzi (Chet
Baker, Jim Hall, Charlie Haden) for a decade, exploring the
latter’s concept of “space jazz.”
Today the trio comes down to earth, interpreting songs by
’70s singer-songwriters Paul Simon, Elton John, Carole King
and Neil Young with even more modern yet still traditionally
informed ideals.
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