ME's Portland Ovations Presents Jazz Trio The Bad Plus at Hannaford Hall Tonight

Portland Ovations brings jazz trio The Bad Plus to Hannaford Hall, USM Portland for an evening concert tonight, February 17 at 7pm.

The Bad Plus comprised of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer David King have spent more than a decade redefining what a piano-bass-drums trio can and should be. Fueled by a deep appreciation for improvisation the trio has long been lauded for deconstructing and putting their signature on others' compositions. The concert program The Bad Plus brings to Portland is titled On Sacred Ground: Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" a multimedia event that integrates live video into the performance. Their treatment of "Rite of Spring" stands apart, with the group musically attacking the score, distilling it to its primal essence while coaxing from it something new and original. The Bad Plus: On Sacred Ground is the second and most adventurous of a four performance season long series by Portland Ovations celebrating the centennial of Stravinsky's seminal work taking the original composition to its farthest reaches and bringing it in step with the 21st century.

At 6 pm prior to the performance Ovations Offstage offers a pre-performance lecture titled, "Rite of Spring" Listening Session where University of Southern Maine Associate Professor and Resident Composer Dr. Daniel Sonenberg will compare and contrast the harmonic and rhythmic structures found in Stravinsky's landmark composition with selections from The Bad Plus' distinctive arrangement.

On Monday, February 18 from 10am to 12pm at North Yarmouth Academy, The Bad Plus will hold a jazz clinic where they will work with high school age and adult jazz musicians, focusing on improvisation and arranging. Limited space is available. To register, email offstage@portlandovations.org or call 207.773.3150 ext. 3. Cost for the clinic is $8 for students and $10 for adults.