It's true that the Bad Plus is best known for covering Nirvana, the Pixies and Aphex Twin and achieving genre crossover success unknown to most jazz musicians. It's true that The New York Times, in its review of the power-piano trio's album Suspicious Activity, said the band is "better than anyone at mixing the sensibilities of post-'60s jazz and indie rock." It's also true that its innovative fusion endeavors over the past decade are as relevant to modern jazz as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever and electric Miles were in the '70s. But as someone who saw them perform live last week, I must emphasize that while the Bad Plus members are master blenders, they are also master composers. Their new album, Never Stop, is their best yet, and it consists entirely of originals.Last Friday, bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer David King played a mind-blowing set at the Berklee Performance Center featuring tunes from the new album. The concert, part of the annual BeanTown Jazz Festival (taking place from Sept. 15 to 25), showed that the Berklee College of Music offers the best week ever for jazz fans around Boston. Berklee students, Harvard students, adults and people of all backgrounds attended the jam-packed auditorium, located just down Boylston Street and Massachusetts Avenue from the Crystal Shuttle drop-off location. It was an audience that, unlike most at jazz venues, cheered very, very loudly for the performing group.

The environment was the perfect mix of jazz sophistication and youthful rock 'n' roll energy. After opening with the eclectic "2 p.m." off of Never Stop and "Here We Test Our Powers of Observation" from 2004's Give, Iverson quietly introduced the group, his modest manner nonetheless riling up the crowd. The latter tune is one of my favorites from the trio, with Iverson's swooning open chords hinting at classical music, Anderson's ascending lines reminding me of jazz funk and King's hard, driving rock beat supporting more jazz-style syncopated rhythms.

They were giants onstage, emitting larger-than-life sounds-sounds that were much louder than I'd expect from three acoustic instrumentalists. They filled the room with just as much noise as any decked-out punk rock band, but I could hardly describe the Bad Plus' precise and unaltered tones as noise. Yes, King's exaggerated motions on the drum set-barreling up and down in what can be described as rhythmic seizures-translated to a heavy rock sound, but within the barrage of cymbal crashes were eloquent flourishes on the snare and expertly placed bass drum kicks. He created complex polyrhythms with Anderson while Iverson flowed over them with his jagged, syncopated melodies.

After finishing "Beryl Loves to Dance," the first track on Never Stop, which Iverson said was about a shy girl in high school, someone sitting next to me asked me why people cheered so frequently in the middle of the tune. How do I explain that moment of connection between the performer and listener that makes jazz so enjoyable? It's the laughter to the comedian's joke; the impulsive "Amen!" to the solo's sweet sermon of harmony and rhythm, tension and release. If I had to count, "Beryl Loves to Dance" had about five of these instances of jubilation shared among the crowd-check out the album and see how many you have.

For me, "Never Stop," the Bad Plus' title track, was the group's most memorable composition. The steady, pulsing rhythm of the piece gave way to an aspect rare in modern jazz: it was a tune that was appropriate to play at any party alongside OK Go or Lady Gaga; something with an infectious element that makes you want to move. I felt the audience members' energy as they leaped up in applause after the closing piece, "The Radio Tower Has a Beating Heart," and continued to cheer until the trio were urged back in for an encore featuring its cover of Aphex Twin's "Flim." But the musicians weren't finished yet. A parodic medley of bebop standards followed, including "Have You Met Miss Jones?" played speeding up and down. Not only did that final piece showcase their mastery of straight-ahead jazz, it also revealed a lighthearted side of the discipline that most modern jazz players never show.

The Bad Plus is not afraid to make fun of jazz during its performances or celebrate with red wine while signing vinyls after the show. But that's not to say that the Bad Plus doesn't take what it does seriously, because Never Stop is jazz that remains intricate while becoming more and more accessible to fans of pop, rock and dance.

After squeezing past the throng of fans holding CDs and T-shirts, I asked Iverson where the inspiration came from with the new album. "It's about all the years we've spent with each other," he said. "We're still constantly inspiring each other, after 10 years.