[Posted this afternoon on The Volume.]

You don’t need us to tell you how much the Bad Plus kicks ass, but we’re still amazed at the frequency with which this combo continues to top itself. TBP’s new disc, For All I Care, breaks ground in a couple of interesting ways. It’s the first time this restlessly inventive jazz trio, still best known for its uniquely twisted versions of pop and rock songs, has stuck a singer out front; Twin Cities alt-rocker Wendy Lewis lends her pipes to hits by Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Heart and others. Even less likely are the band’s versions of contemporary-classical ditties by Igor Stravinsky, György Ligeti and Milton Babbitt, at least some of which date to a joint appearance by TBP pianist Ethan Iverson, a not-very-closeted classical maven, and blogosphere it-boy Alex Ross, of The Rest Is Noise renown and endless accolades thereof.

Now, not only has Iverson prevailed upon his ace collaborators to join his madness, but seemingly innocent dancing girls have been roped into shuffling and kicking to Milton “Who Cares If You Lindy?” Babbitt’s deathless Semi-Simple Variations in a new music video posted today on YouTube (and embedded below). Iverson tells the whole story on his always fresh and crispy blog, Do the Math; if you want to hear Babbitt unadulterated for comparison, visit Augustus Arnone’s blog.