These Are the Vistas

Amazon.com
Here's a major label debut that doesn't disappoint. For starters, Midwestern piano trio the Bad Plus--in the same vein as Dave Douglas or Brad Mehldau--clearly know a thing or two about how to mix pop music with forward-thinking jazz. The group covers Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Blondie's "Heart of Glass," and Aphex Twin's "Flim" with wit, virtuosity, and respect to the originals--these interpretations never sound in the least bit cliched or overwrought. But even the new material on These Are the Vistas is loaded with infectious hooks. Ethan Iverson uses the entire range of his piano with speed and dexterity; David King's drum fills are deftly placed, at times harkening more to electronica music's lightening fast percussion flourishes than anything on the jazz scene; and bassist Reid Anderson somehow keeps up with the madness and maintains a steady beat. Amidst all the fun is a dynamic record that holds your attention. A wonderful effort. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

Big Eater
Keep The Bugs Off Your Glass And The Bears Off Your A**
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Everywhere You Turn
1972 Bronze Medalist
Guilty
Boo-Wah
Flim
Heart Of Glass
Silence Is The Question

Amazon.com

Here's a major label debut that doesn't disappoint. For starters, Midwestern piano trio the Bad Plus--in the same vein as Dave Douglas or Brad Mehldau--clearly know a thing or two about how to mix pop music with forward-thinking jazz. The group covers Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Blondie's "Heart of Glass," and Aphex Twin's "Flim" with wit, virtuosity, and respect to the originals--these interpretations never sound in the least bit cliched or overwrought. But even the new material on These Are the Vistas is loaded with infectious hooks. Ethan Iverson uses the entire range of his piano with speed and dexterity; David King's drum fills are deftly placed, at times harkening more to electronica music's lightening fast percussion flourishes than anything on the jazz scene; and bassist Reid Anderson somehow keeps up with the madness and maintains a steady beat. Amidst all the fun is a dynamic record that holds your attention. A wonderful effort. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Modern Jazz Done Right..........2007-03-09

Upon purchasing this album for the 2nd time, I'm glad that I did. I do have to say that you have to like jazz to really enjoy and appreciate this album though. It's not for today's popular music audience. It's also not for the fans of old jazz either. The covers of recent popular music hits (Smells Like Teen Spirit / Heart of Glass) are excellent tunings that provide enough differentiations to make them beat alone. This album has a weird and small audience so I'm not recommending it to everyone but to those few who enjoy modern jazz with a flair, give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

Dull after the first listen.......2006-04-12

This might seem exciting at first, but when it come down to it, there's very little content behind this band's bravado and image. Even the name of the band seems to be shoving their 'coolness' down your throat. And that's just what the music is like, when actually, they're just not that good. This disc is at best dull, and at times it's quite messy and annoying.
If you really want to hear a piano trio that pushes out the boundaries of what's possible with that set-up, check out anything by Hiromi. Hiromi's stuff really puts this lame effort in its place.

Jazz for indie rockers.......2006-03-30

The Bad Plus have done well at promoting their image. If I didn't already know about them, I would swear they were an indie rock band. Their obvious image consciousness makes me wonder if they were ever in indie rock bands before. Also, their choice of material (popular indie rock songs and campy covers) was brilliant in attracting young fans. In fact, I was at their show and there seemed to be more young people looking around laughing and smiling at their covers than there were paying attention to the music, so that was an effective way to draw them in.

However, I think it's kind of a shame that they resort to cheap gimmickry so often. In fact, I would go as far as saying that they would not be nearly as popular if they hadn't covered "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (a very boring rendition, by the way). And the use of walkie talkies to produce feedback was pretty pathetic and didn't add anything to the music -just more cheap gimmickry.

This band gets WAY too much credit/press. Their popularity is more a result of clever marketing than it is great playing but that's the music industry for you. A lot of people are praising them for popularizing jazz again. It's great that they are attracting so many kids to jazz, but it's not like they are the first jazz musicians to play contemporary pop songs. If everyone continued to play My Funny Valentine forever, jazz would have been long dead by now.

Having said that, I will say that their original compositions are pretty good. And while I think they are all competent musicians, I prefer to spend my time listening to artists who play with more feeling. Maybe if they jettisoned the pianist and got someone with soul I'd like them more. This guy's playing is so sterile. He sounds like he came straight from the conservatory. I guess that's fine if that's your taste, but it's not mine.

I saw another review that compares them to Mingus, Rahsaan, etc. Now those guys played with feeling! Sadly, the Bad Plus do not.

Transcendent Jazz.......2006-03-13

With unparralleled rivals, Bad Plus stormed the scene, or i should say made it...The edginess acts like Medeski, Martin, and Wood were trying to implement to help bridge the gap between old school jazz traditionalists and new age freeform hipsters was burst wide open on this debut album displaying a sick amount of coiled terror of talent...While the cover songs were, as usual, exploited to shock and awe it's listeners, the originals displayed the sort of schizophrenic genius that you pray they will continue to wake up with..

Smoooooth........2006-01-20

I'll start off by saying I like it when music gets a bit chaotic, so my tastes lean towards that sort of thing; ie: Mingus, Deerhoof, Sonic Youth, etc. However, I think my opinion of this record goes beyond that.

I can completely understand a lot of the negative reviews. People get comfortable in their tastes, and I even think to an extent jazz trios have started to get comfortable and even safe ( perhaps for fear of criticism? Although I'm definitely digging the Brad Mehldau trio these days) as well. So I find it particularly refreshing that these guys not only have an interesting take on the form, but they're actually (sort of) making money at it! I know a few people playing every night and barely making ends meet.

Another thing I noticed is the criticism towards their playing ability. I'd like to offer one word to those folks: Metametrics. Look it up. In fact while you're at it check out Post Minimalism, Rock, PostClassic, etc. These guys know how to play; I've never heard anyone mess with the rhythm so much and still stay so locked in. They pull in a lot of elements and somehow manage to make it work.

Every so often I come across an album that just works. It's especially cool when it happens to be in a form that seems to need a breath of fresh air. With these guys, and Madlib (Yesterday's New Quintet), jazz is something we can keep going and have it appeal to new generations. Genres and "sticking to form" should be saved for the class room, not kept in mind when listening to a record this righteous.

Check it.

Average customer rating:

These are the Vistas-The bad plus

These Are the Vistas
The Bad Plus
Manufacturer: Sony/Epic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Give
The Bad Plus
PROG
Blunt Object Live in Tokyo
Suspicious Activity?

ASIN: B00008G9JF
Release Date: 2003-06-23

Tracks:

Big Eater
Keep the Bugs Off Your Glass and the Bears Off Your Ass
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Everywhere You Turn
1972 Bronze Medalist
Guilty
Boo-Wah
Flim
Heart of Glass
Silence Is the Question

Customer Reviews:

These are the Vistas-The bad plus.......2005-12-04

My friend lent me this cd because he said, "these are the people that will save jazz." I'm not sure if jazz necessarily needs to be saved, but the fact that he said it made me curious. So, I popped in the cd, listened once and liked it. Then I listened to it again, and I loved it. Now, I consider it to be my most favorite album. It grew and me and my love for it has not waned.
I was so impressed by the lasting effects of the music; there's so much emotion in it. For example, when I listen to "Silence is the question," I cannot do anything else, I stop whatever i'm doing. It's eight gold minutes long. Every so often I play it right before I go to sleep. The music is so vivid. Listening to it provokes so many images and emotions in me that I can only listen to it alone.
This is not your cocktail party jazz! It's clever art. The jazz rendition of "smells like teen spirit" clearly illuminates their wit and talent. I recommend this cd to those who like sophistication in their music, but also like a sort of spirited, youthful air mixed in too.

Average customer rating:

These Are the Vistas
The Bad Plus
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Big Eater
Keep the Bugs Off Your Glass and the Bears Off Your Ass
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Everywhere You Turn
1972 Bronze Medalist
Guilty
Boo-Wah
Flim
Heart of Glass
Silence Is the Question

Pop Music:

Pop Music