Drummer Dave King of The Bad Plus has become enamored with the concept of bridging the gap between American roots music and the avant-garde. As a Midwesterner, King has also developed an affinity for the “outsider.” In the arts particularly, the romanticized notion of the great innovator who created outstanding work without fanfare because of regional displacement has become gospel to wide audiences. There you have the two defining elements of the Dave King Trucking Company. As a matter of fact, the ensemble could be seen as the poster child for bands revolting against the “academic” lean of mainstream jazz, preferring a slant toward the corporeal.