Bassist Christian McBride was already turning heads as a teenaged sideman with Benny Green during the early '90s, showcasing formidable technique and imagination in his solos.
Over the two decades since then, McBride has demonstrated his skills as a bandleader, composer, and arranger as well.
After 15 years of studying big-band charts, experimenting, and writing, McBride developed sufficient material for a CD, recruiting some of New York's best and busiest players, including saxophonists Steve Wilson, Ron Blake, and Loren Schoenberg, trumpeters Nicholas Payton and Frank Greene, and trombonists Steve Davis, Michael Dease, and Douglas Purviance, plus pianist Xavier Davis and drummer Ulysses Owens (among others).
Six of the 11 pieces are originals, highlighted by the funky, playful "Bluesin' in Alphabet City," the ambitious, multifaceted "Science Fiction," and the upbeat, boisterous post-bop cooker "The Shade of the Cedar Tree." Vocalist Melissa Walker shines on several tracks, including a warm setting of "When I Fall in Love" that opens with the leader's arco solo and a pulsating rendition of Bobby Scott's "A Taste of Honey" that is scored with rich ensemble work behind the singer.
The solos by McBride, Blake, Wilson, and Dease especially stand out, though everyone who takes a turn delivers a top-drawer effort.
With this fine effort, it's safe to say that Christian McBride's talents as a writer have grown to match his considerable chops as a bassist.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shake 'N BlakeChristian McBride | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 07:21 | 16 MB | 36 MB |
| 2 | BroadwayBill Bird, Teddy McRae, Henri Woode | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 17 MB |
| 3 | Brother MisterChristian McBride | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 04:53 | 11 MB | 27 MB |
| 4 | When I Fall In LoveEdward Heyman, Victor Young | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 05:17 | 12 MB | 20 MB |
| 5 | Science FictionChristian McBride | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 11:46 | 26 MB | 59 MB |
| 6 | The Shade of the Cedar TreeChristian McBride | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 08:17 | 18 MB | 48 MB |
| 7 | The More I See YouMack Gordon, Harry Warren | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 18 MB |
| 8 | I Should CareSammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 05:45 | 13 MB | 25 MB |
| 9 | A Taste of HoneyRic Marlow, Bobby Scott | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | Bluesin' In Alphabet CityChristian McBride | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 08:45 | 20 MB | 41 MB |
| 11 | In a HurryChristian McBride | Christian McBride Big Band, Christian McBride | Play | 07:01 | 16 MB | 37 MB |
| 70 mins | 161 MB | |||||
| 67 mins | 334 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Bashore | Flute, Sax (Alto) |
| 2 | Bill Bird | Composer |
| 3 | Ron Blake | Flute, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor) |
| 4 | Keith H. Brown | Illustrations |
| 5 | James Burton | Trombone |
| 6 | Sammy Cahn | Composer |
| 7 | Christian McBride Big Band | Primary Artist |
| 8 | Steve Davis | Trombone |
| 9 | Xavier Davis | Piano |
| 10 | Michael Dease | Trombone |
| 11 | Maria Ehrenreich | Creative Producer, Creative Services Director |
| 12 | Joe Ferla | Engineer |
| 13 | Mack Gordon | Composer |
| 14 | Frank Greene | Trumpet |
| 15 | André Kimo Stone Guess | Associate Producer |
| 16 | Freddie Hendrix | Trumpet |
| 17 | Edward Heyman | Composer |
| 18 | Nabate Isles | Trumpet |
| 19 | Randall Kennedy | Creative Director |
| 20 | Rick Kwan | Assistant Engineer |
| 21 | Fernando Lodeiro | Assistant Engineer |
| 22 | Carl Maraghi | Clarinet (Bass), Sax (Baritone) |
| 23 | Ric Marlow | Composer |
| 24 | Christian McBride | Arranger, Bass, Composer, Conductor, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 25 | Teddy McRae | Composer |
| 26 | Raj Naik | Art Direction, Design |
| 27 | Ulysses Owens | Drums |
| 28 | Tino Passante | Studio Manager |
| 29 | Nicholas Payton | Trumpet |
| 30 | Al Pryor | Executive Vice President |
| 31 | Douglas Purviance | Trombone (Bass) |
| 32 | Loren Schoenberg | Sax (Tenor) |
| 33 | Bobby Scott | Composer |
| 34 | Axel Stordahl | Composer |
| 35 | Gretchen Valade | Executive Producer |
| 36 | Will Wakefield | Production Manager |
| 37 | Melissa Walker | Vocals |
| 38 | Harry Warren | Composer |
| 39 | Paul Weston | Composer |
| 40 | Mark Wilder | Mastering Engineer |
| 41 | Todd Williams | Flute, Sax (Tenor) |
| 42 | Steve Wilson | Flute, Sax (Alto) |
| 43 | Henri Woode | Composer |
| 44 | Victor Young | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |