The Bad Plus shows off their new lineup as a quartet on a self-titled studio album. The four-piece previewed The Bad Plus, which is due out on September 30 via Edition Records, by releasing its lead single and opening track, “Motivations II.”
Co-founding members drummer Dave King and bassist Reid Anderson expanded the band’s lineup in 2021 with the additions of guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed after 21 years as a piano-bass-drums trio. “We feel like we’ve pulled off a magic trick,” Dave King noted, “changing the lineup from a trio to a quartet with guitar and saxophone that still sounds coherent as The Bad Plus. Having two main composers was our greatest card to play. Our language remains, and that’s the magic.”
Monder is best known for his work with David Bowie (BLACKSTAR), Theo Bleckmann, Guillermo Klein, while Speed has performed with a variety of modern ensembles and has a long history with King and Anderson. The four musicians assembled last summer to begin intense rehearsals. Eventually, The Bad Plus entered the studio with engineer Brett Bullion and came away with eight songs displaying the immense talents of Monder and Speed.
“Evolution is necessary for life and creativity,” stated Dave King and Reid Anderson. “We’ve evolved, but we’re still The Bad Plus.”
Listen to “Motivations II” from The Bad Plus below:
The Bad Plus take the stage in Boston tonight and tomorrow ahead of a residency in New York City this July and West Coast tour in October. Check out the band’s full touring schedule by clicking below:
The Bad Plus Tracklist
- Motivations II
- Sun Wall
- Not Even Close To Far Off
- You Won’t See Me Before I Come Back
- Sick Fire
- Stygian Pools
- In The Bright Future
- The Dandy
