The Bad Plus is an American jazz group formed in Minneapolis in 2000, originally a piano trio built around founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums), alongside pianist Ethan Iverson. The band made its name by placing original compositions next to audacious covers of rock and pop songs - Nirvana, Aphex Twin, Black Sabbath - and their 2003 debut on Columbia Records, These Are the Vistas, was later named one of the 50 Most Important Recordings of the Decade by NPR's All Songs Considered. After two lineup changes - Orrin Evans on piano from 2018, then a full reinvention as a piano-less quartet with guitarist Ben Monder and saxophonist Chris Speed from 2021 - the band announced in January 2026 that 2026 would be their final year, capping 26 years with a worldwide farewell tour.
The Bad Plus announced additional international farewell tour dates including a three-night stand at Blue Note Tokyo (Oct. 17-19), shows in Australia, and a final New York City performance at Le Poisson Rouge on Nov. 12.
The band's European farewell leg in July 2026 includes stops in Munich, Hamburg, Pisa, Prague, Paris, Edinburgh, Berlin and Warsaw.
Founding members Reid Anderson and Dave King announced on January 12, 2026 that The Bad Plus would disband by the end of the year, after 26 years as a band.
The band confirmed their final shows will be a five-night, 10-show run at the Dakota in Minneapolis in late December 2026, returning to the city where they were founded.
The Bad Plus released their 18th album, Complex Emotions, on Mack Avenue Records in November 2024, the quartet's second studio album with the current lineup.
