In recent years, Jason Moran's Bandwagon and The Bad Plus have occasionally been booked for back-to-back engagements. Interesting idea: Here are two long-running, well-oiled, 21st-century piano trios. Compare and contrast, anyone?
It happened recently on a September Saturday in Northern Virginia, just across the river from Washington, D.C. The Rosslyn Jazz Festival is a free outdoor event; it was sunny and warm, and turnout was robust. And a local public access TV group, Arlington Independent Media, recorded the entire thing. Like, every set in full:
By the way, NPR Music and WBGO have also recorded both bands live at the Village Vanguard this year. Here's The Bad Plus' set on New Year's Eve, and Jason Moran's recent hit. And there's more:
The actual headliner — or at least the last group to perform — was California-based vocalist Tierney Sutton and her band.
And a "local band," the Latin jazz unit Afro Bop Alliance, started the afternoon. The scare-quotes are because not all "local bands" win Latin Grammys.
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