The Bad Plus, Chris Potter & Craig Taborn - LEUVEN JAZZ

Tribute to Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet

In this exceptional live project, the two founding members of US band The Bad Plus – Reid Anderson on bass and Dave King on drums – join forces with two other giants of contemporary jazz: Chris Potter on saxophone and Craig Taborn on piano.

They pay tribute to pianist Keith Jarrett, and in particular to one of his showpieces from the 1970s, his American Quartet with Charlie Haden on double bass, Paul Motian on drums and Dewey Redman on saxophone.

For Anderson, King, Potter, and Taborn, the music of the American Quartet is more than a source of inspiration – it is fundamental. The Quartet's trail-blazing fusion of swing, freedom and folk-like melody left an indelible mark not only on these four musicians, but on an entire generation of jazz artists who sought a balance between structure and spontaneity, groove and experimentation.

In this tribute, these acclaimed artists – each with their own legendary careers in contemporary jazz – revisit this repertoire with deep reverence and fresh vision. With The Bad Plus, Anderson and King helped redefine modern jazz. With Potter's impressive tenor saxophone and Taborn's pianistic genius, they create an ensemble superbly attuned to the melodic and rhythmic nuance of this music. Together, they capture the raw, exploratory energy of the American Quartet, while adding their own distinctive voices to the material.

This project is more than just a tribute – it is a continuation of the spirit that Jarrett, Redman, Haden and Motian embodied: a fearless dedication to musical dialogue, emotional depth and trail-blazing improvisation. By paying homage to this ground-breaking music, The Bad Plus, Chris Potter & Craig Taborn celebrate the American Quartet's enduring influence while affirming its relevance to the contemporary jazz landscape.