Give

1	1979 Semi-Finalist 5:18
2	Cheney Piñata 4:50
3	Street Woman 3:59
4	And Here We Test Our Powers of Observation 4:22
5	Frog and Toad 3:37
6	Velouria 5:37
7	Layin' a Strip for the Higher-Self State Line 4:18
8	Do Your Sums/Die Like a Dog/Play for Home 5:05
9	Dirty Blonde 3:43
10	Neptune (The Planet) 5:30
11	Iron Man 6:04

Barnes & Noble

Audacious as they wanna be, the piano-bass-and-drums team that call themselves the Bad Plus mix and match musical styles as they see fit. Pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King bring diverse backgrounds to this party; you hear jazz, rock, classical, and other musical sources pop up in unlikely places throughout Give, the band’s third album. This postmodern piano trio also record whatever strikes their fancy; hence, their skewed versions of the Pixies' “Veloria,” Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” and Ornette Coleman’s “Street Woman,” which mingle with the band’s striking originals. What makes it all work so well is the high level of musicianship that allows Bad Plus to indulge in tight arrangements and crafty interaction. Iverson and King may dominate the proceedings, but the equally gifted Anderson remains integral to the overall conception. Give was produced by Tchad Blake, the mastermind who also lent the band’s second album, These Are the Vistas, such sonic distinction. Steve Futterman

All Music Guide

Falling somewhere between Medeski, Martin & Wood, Ben Folds Five, and the Oscar Peterson Trio, power jazz trio the Bad Plus deliver more idiosyncratic instrumentals on their sophomore effort, Give. Featuring bassist Reid Anderson, drummer David King, and pianist Ethan Iverson, the Bad Plus follow a similar creative path as on their debut, These Are the Vistas, by interspersing original compositions with covers of popular rock tunes. This time around the Pixies' "Velouria" is turned into a kind of Sergei Rachmaninov does funk jazz number while Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" sounds something like a Claude Debussy arrangement of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." Otherwise, the trio evinces free jazz with Ornette Coleman's "Street Woman," and does a bombastic impersonation of Vince Guaraldi on the original "Layin' a Strip for the Higher-Self State Line." While obviously talented and often inspired, it is unclear if the Bad Plus are avant-garde enough to appeal to hardcore jazz fans, or pop-oriented enough to grab the attention of rock listeners. However, fans of quirky, experimental music may find this worth a listen. Matt Collar