Christian McBride
A Family Affair (Verve)
The brilliant young bassist Christian McBride already has established himself as one of the most accomplished instrumentalists in jazz, but his newest release points to his expanding reach as musician and leader. In the boldest and most compelling recording of his still nascent career, McBride dares to take on R&B and funk idioms, though with the sophistication one associates with the best jazz improvisation. From the opening track, “I’m Coming Home” — with its second-line rhythms and hand claps and hollers from the band–its clear that this is not going to be just another technical tour de force from a young lion of jazz. Whether McBride and the band are exploring soul balladry in “A Dream of You” (with vocals by Will Downing), pop melody in Stevie Wonder’s “Summer Soft” (with McBride’s evocative electric bass) or gritty rhythms and instrumentation on McBride’s “Brown Funk (for Ray),” there’s no questioning the leader’s affinity for a broad range of black musical idioms. By far one of the most appealing releases of the year.
