Pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer David King played together — once — in 1990, then went their separate ways, King as a session player, Iverson as musical director for the Mark Morris Dance Group, and Anderson as a New York jazz player.
Fate put them back together in 2000 for a weekend club date, where they played their first public rock cover, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” an act that led to the trademark set list of original songs and interpretations of mainstream hits, including songs by Blondie, Ornette Coleman, Neil Young, Pixies and Rush. Instant chemistry led to another gig as The Bad Plus and a one-day recording session for the self-titled album.
Don’t expect long solos in the Thursday Seattle concert because the group favors improvisation rather than showcasing an individual while they honor their musical differences — the rhythmic King, the melodic Anderson and the intellectual Iverson, all held together by a rock ‘n’ roll attitude.
The Bad Plus has turned out about an album a year, including 2007’s “Prog” and this fall’s studio album with a classical feel on some tracks, thanks to the classically trained Iverson.
The show was moved to the Tractor Tavern in Seattle from the now-closed Crocodile Cafe; the Croc’s tickets will be honored.
Hot Tuna: The electric version of the usually acoustic band is back in Seattle with founding members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. Kaukonen’s major contribution to modern music history was to help create the remarkable sounds of Jefferson Airplane, in which he once played a lengthy lead-guitar duet with himself. Kaukonen, on Rolling Stones’ greatest rock guitarists list, and Casady formed Hot Tuna as a side project in 1969. They continue to showcase their folk, blues, jazz and bluegrass influences. In the 1990s they refocused on acoustic music and dropped the decibels, although they have returned to the electric approach.
Brett Dennen, Mason Jennings, Missy Higgins: Here’s a chance to catch fast-rising folk-rocker songwriter Dennen, whose music has been picked up in several TV shows, including “Scrubs” and “House.” Rolling Stone called him one of the 10 artists to watch in 2008. Jennings has said he’s interested in the experience of life, not the meaning, and that’s reflected on his latest album, “Boneclouds.” After dropping out of high school, he traveled the globe and sold 100,000 copies of four albums. Higgins’ piano ballad “All for Believing” was an instant hit in Australia before she started touring the U.S. in 2005.
Was (Not Was): Best friends David Weiss and Don Fagenson plotted since high school how they were going to make a record one day, the same period in which they published a full-of-fiction newspaper, created a comedy troupe, and got involved with the White Panther movement (at least according to their Web site). They stayed in contact long after parting ways, even writing songs over the phone, including “Was (Not Was).” By 1980, they had formed the first Was (Not Was). After many ups and downs, the eccentric pop-funk-electronic group continues to perform, sometimes turning out political messages. This year they’ve been on the British show “Later … with Jools Holland” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
Blue Rodeo: The Canadian alt-country-rock band has been turning out successful albums since its debut in 1987 with “Outskirts.” Nominated for 24 Juno Awards, Blue Rodeo has taken home eight, four for Group of the Year. Young guitarist Luke Doucet will open.
Out and about: Japanese pop stars Yoshida Brothers have had their “Kodo” single featured in Nintendo’s Wii video game console ads, overlaid rock passion on an ancient three-string instrument (tsugaru-shamisen) and brought it into the 21st century, and incorporated American folk, Latin music and blues (Wednesday, Triple Door) … Due to illness, Jim Lauderdale had to cancel his Tuesday appearance at the Triple Door in Seattle … Lance Buller brings his party jazz off the circuit and home to Seattle with vocal arrangements and renditions of standards (today and Saturday and May 23-24; 13 Coins Night Owl Lounge) … Pop and R&B singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell has earned hits for himself and others, including Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Amy Grant and Neil Diamond (Thursday through May 24, Jazz Alley) …
Through 36 years of concerts, recordings, a weekly radio program and performances on many other radio shows, singer-songwriter Tom May has reached hundreds of thousands of listeners (Saturday, Phinney Neighborhood Center) … A jazz vocalist celebrates the release of her “Long Ago and Far Away; Kelly Harland sings Jerome Kern,” a celebration of a great composer in the American Songbook (Monday, Jazz Alley) … The band Amelia delivers its rustic pop, Americana and heartbreaking rock in “A Long, Lonely List of Repairs” (today, High Dive; Saturday, Experience Music Project’s Sky Church) … Singer-songwriter Kristen Ward launches her new CD “Drive Away” with The Kwabs (featuring members of Beltholes, Mudhoney and The Cops) along with Electric Land Ladies (today, High Dive).
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