First, my apologies to Christian McBride for missing the November release of his terrific album Live at the Village Vanguard (Mack Avenue). I receive so much incoming product, it wound up buried on my desk. The album was recorded in 2014 and features Christian's quintet, Inside Straight, with Christian on bass, Steve Wilson on saxophones, Warren Wolf on vibes, Peter Martin on piano and Carl Allen on drums. [Photo above of Christian McBride, courtesy of Christian McBride]
In addition to playing bass, Christian is a composer and arranger and has appeared on more than 300 albums as a sideman. The list of jazz legends and pop stars he has performed and recorded with is lengthy, and he won eight Grammys along the way.
I love that the new album is both melodic and sophisticated. The songs' lines and arrangements are enveloping and hip, and the album swings, led by Christian's warm, punctuating bass playing. The band is conversationally tight, and the addition of vibes rather than a second horn was brilliant. Wilson's heat on saxophones is offset by the ice-cube cool of Wolf's vibes. Then there's Martin's piano, which is intense and flashy, all driven by Allen's straight-ahead drumming.
I recently was having an email conversation with a friend about jazz's struggles in an era when major media has stopped covering the music's new developments, musicians can't make a living gigging and audience reception is moderate. Part of the problem rests with the audience's desire for fast gratification, but the musicians own some of the problem as well. Many are unable to engage with audiences or the media, for that matter, which is a shame. Today, unless you can connect on human terms with people who pay to hear you, you're going to lose them.
Christian has done a superb job of being a tiger on stage and remaining accessible to those who value his art. As a result, he has built a spectacular career and sizable audience. Hopefully, more jazz musicians will take his cue. [Photo above of Inside Straight, from left, Christian McBride, Warren Wolf, Steve Wilson, Peter Martin and Carl Allen by David Salafia, courtesy of Christian McBride]
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Christian McBride & Inside Straight's Live at the Village Vanguard (Mack Avenue) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's The Shade of the Cedar Tree...
And here's Sweet Bread...
