IN her program notes, Street Theatre Artistic director Caroline Stacey, says the sole aim of the Capital Jazz Project is to nourish top quality jazz music artists and audiences.

Therefore, the top-line American trio, The Bad Plus, is a perfect inclusion. Formed in 2000 and based in New York, The Bad Plus has managed to avoid easy categorisation, while quickly establishing a reputation for its brilliant musicianship and innovative explorations of the boundaries of musical composition by utilising elements of modern avant-garde jazz with rock and pop influences.

Consisting of Reid Anderson (bass), Ethan Iversen (piano) and Dave King (drums), each technically brilliant and a master of his instrument, their complex musical arrangements demanded intense concentration from the audience. However, we were well rewarded by the frequently surprising results of their heady flirtations with complex rhythms and teasing musical references.

Tantalising hints of Grieg, Bach, Phillip Glass, even Brubeck perhaps, surfaced as grand chord progressions on the piano cut through frantic drum and double bass combinations with mesmeric effect.

Most of the compositions were relatively short and, in his gentle laid-back introductions, Anderson described them as songs. Indeed many of them were surprisingly melodic and often quite beautiful, especially the lovely “Everywhere You Turn” and the very pretty encore song.

The Street Theatre concert was the trio’s last in this Australian tour. Most of the large audience lucky enough to experience them on this occasion will be looking forward to their next.