
Drummer Dave King and bassist Reid Anderson have had an uproarious last 24 months. They lost their partner of 17 years in the Bad Plus, pianist Ethan Iverson, found a new Bad keyboardist/pal (the joyously diabolical Orrin Evans), and recorded two new albums, including this month’s Activate Infinity. At the same time, Anderson and King renewed their childhood friendship with fellow Minneapolis native and charmed free keyboardist Craig Taborn for a live-without-sequencers tribute to their former Golden Valley stomping grounds.
Call it a tale of one rhythm section, or new chapters in a life-book dedicated to progressive music-making: These recordings present Anderson and King in a rainbow of surprisingly subtle colors and shadings.