The Bad Plus
Reid Anderson bass
David King drums
Chris Speed tenor saxophone
Ben Monder guitar
After working as a trio for nearly 20 years, the Bad Plus now is a quartet with saxophonist Chris Speed and guitarist Ben Monder joining the group in 2021. Compared with the group’s original piano trio instrumentation, the addition of saxophone and electric guitar allows TBP to explore new degrees of melodic lyricism, and a broader sonic palette. These new members have a long history with the original members and are prolific performers in their own right. Monder played with Paul Motion and is a current member of the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and even contributed guitar charts to David Bowie’s final album. Speed is a longtime NYC resident with a massive list of eclectic ensembles with which he performs from folk to avant garde to jazz.
In contrast to the large venues where the Bad Plus will be performing in the region (Portland and Seattle over 800 seats, Bend 450 seats), The Jazz Station, with 70 seats, offers an intimate experience unlike any other on their current tour.