Reid Anderson, composer, bassist, and electronicsist is a founding member the internationally acclaimed jazz trio, the Bad Plus. His distinctive, loud, and woody tone, as well as his economical approach to the instrument, make him a great choice for any role, whether he is playing in an ensemble, bandleader, or sideman. Ethan Iverson was replaced by pianist Orrin Evans in 2017. The Bad Plus members, including Evans, have always followed the democratic principle that all members are composers. Anderson’s songs are well-known for their catchy, easy listening tunes and lyricism. Three of his leader dates were for Spain’s Fresh Sound New Talent. These included 1997’s Dirty Show Tunes and 1999’s Abolish Bad Architecture. He also produced 2000’s The Vastness of Space, which was universally praised. To name just a few, the bassist worked with Bill McHenry and Mark Turner, as well as Donna Lewis, Guillermo Klein and pianist Uri Caine. In 2019, Anderson, Bad Plus drummer Dave King and Craig Taborn, pianist/keyboardist, issued Golden Valley Is Now to Intakt. Anderson was born in Golden Valley (Minnesota), a suburb of Minneapolis. As a teenager, Anderson was exposed to rock radio and began his interest in music. King was attracted to the bass, and he eventually gravitated towards prog hard rock. He honed these skills by playing in garage bands. He was fascinated by the instrument and discovered jazz through his insatiable curiosity. These two were the ones that inspired Anderson to learn how to play the acoustic basse. He didn’t intend to play classical music but he did attend the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire as an music major. He was required to be a member of the orchestra because of his curriculum. His teacher was an orchestral bassist. Anderson quickly learned classical technique and his instructor encouraged Anderson to apply to Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia. Anderson set a goal to achieve it and passed the audition. Anderson studied classical music at Curtis and graduated in three years. He spent his time at Curtis hanging out at the Clef Club and sat in whenever he could. He received a call one day from Orrin Evans (the future Bad Plus pianist), who was still in highschool and needed a bassist for a pick-up band to play at his sister’s party. That day, the pair became close friends. Anderson graduated from Curtis and moved to New York. He became a jazz musician and sat in on every show he could. Anderson played on Till Bronner
