It had to happen eventually. Every other social and musical trend has at some point been swept into jazz's fold. The Bad Plus' debut CD, "These Are the Vistas," is a startling work, taking some of its cues from grunge's earnest, introspective stance. Even while sticking to a piano, bass and drums line-up, The Bad Plus floods its jazz with attitude -- and plenty of it. In much the same way grunge chipped away at the conventions of rock, the Bad Plus seeks to disrupt the traditional jazz piano trio.
On first listen, their self-conscious 'tude might be off-putting. but dig deep and you'll hear a lot more going underneath. Bad Plus is jazz, good jazz, but roughened by rock's jagged edges and self-revealing anger. There's nothing new in that, but what is new is how expressively they let this flow out into an acoustic jazz trio format, and how well they do it.
The band members, all twentysomethings, have plenty of chops, but they're happy to let their technique loaf on the sofa while they rampage through their unique material. The first cut, "Big Eater," is a temper tantrum of piano rhythms, bass whacking and stop-start drumming. The second cut, "Keep the Bugs off Your Glass and the Bears off Your Ass," at first rolls along like an 18-wheeler, then downshifts to a laid-back bass solo, before the trio cranks up for a bravura finish. Without a hint of distorted guitar, their cover of the classic grunge anthem, Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," would feel like a postmodern spoof if it weren't laid out with such snarl.