The Bad Plus

Nearly every jazz performer has a list of standards to turn to, classic tunes which offer a common ground to musicians and listeners alike. For the New York-based/Minneapolis-bred jazz trio the Bad Plus, those standards come in the form of rock & roll singles — which it then recasts within the piano/bass/drums format. Each of the band's LPs features deconstructed pop tunes alongside the members' original compositions. Last year's Prog featured a plaintive retelling of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" as well as a dramatic version of the Bacharach/David gem "This Guy's in Love with You." Isn't that better than hearing "The Girl from Ipanema" for the umpteenth time?