Babbitt dance party, for real

Back in 2007 I joined the jazz composer-pianist Ethan Iverson for an Evening of Scary Modern Music at the Paris Bar. It went over pretty well, to the point that Lou Reed was inspired to buy my book. Ethan's playlist included Milton Babbitt's Semi-Simple Variations, with a little extra emphasis on the composer's innately jazzy vibe. While practicing the piece on the road with his trio, The Bad Plus, Ethan found that his bandmates, Dave King and Reid Anderson, enjoyed playing along. They got the