The Bad Plus @ The Village Vanguard, 1/23 - 1/28

Nearly four years ago, three Midwesterners—a pianist, a drummer and a bassist—rocked The Village Vanguard with a set that resulted in a recording contract with Columbia. Their debut, These Are The Vistas, appeared shortly thereafter. With re-arrangements of classic hits including Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” The Bad Plus are known to leave the scent of rock, while their rhythms are consistent with the flavor of post-bop.

Their show at the Blue Note several months ago had the audience captivated: you just simply didn’t know which guy to watch since Iverson, King and Anderson were all getting far too ill. Whether it be their colorful display of call and response, improvisation or the surprise in hearing a familiar bassline from an 80’s pop song, it’s clear that they thrive in a live setting. Now, having produced two more albums since their debut and having gone on worldwide tours, The Bad Plus is bound to deliver on this six-day homecoming stand.

Brad Mehldau 10/13 – 10/15 @ Village Vanguard

Here at NYCUG, we’re always looking for new and exciting music, and although jazz piano may not fit your fancy, this guy is worth checking out. While he is technically a jazz pianist, the average concert fan may be more amazed by his knack for turning popular rock songs into lush, sweeping piano solos. Mr. Mehldau gained notoriety early in his career by playing with the likes of jazz giants Jimmy Cobb and Joshua Redman. He then fell into praise with the indie rock crowd in the late nineties for covering hipster darlings Radiohead on record and during live performances. You can check out his latest release on Nonesuch with Renee Fleming entitled Love Sublime. Mehldau does not tour as much as his fans would like, so if you are a fan, or are just interested, he will be in NYC almost all week and probably won’t be back for a while.

Submitted by James D