Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Mark Whitfield: Fingerpainting (Verve)
Three of Verve Records’ young lions join forces on this release, which is far more than some marketing gimmick, mainly because bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and guitarist Mark Whitfield form a loose and thoroughly engaging trio. Payton’s trumpetry is at the center of the recording, which is devoted to music of Herbie Hancock. But those who expect to hear Payton’s customary, clarion solo work will find a more soft-spoken, casual kind of virtuosity here, which suits Hancock’s music well. In this company, Whitfield tends to tone down his customary technical ostentation, while McBride proves characteristically inventive and technically adept. Together, these three players address Hancock’s music in fresh, lean-lined ways that perhaps only a new generation of jazz stars could do.
