Christian McBride: A Family Affair

The bassist wrote half the selections on this album, including the lyrics to "A Dream of You" and "...Or So You Thought." Most tracks feature the quartet of tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Charles Craig, bassist McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson.

Like the music at a family get-together, McBride splits the session between R&B "fun music" and his straight-ahead acoustic ensemble. The leader begins Stevie Wonder's "Summer Soft" with the bowed acoustic bass but soon switches to the electric model and offers the pop tune with back beat and quiet repetition. Sly Stone's "Family Affair" places the acoustic quartet in the spotlight as the ensemble marches deliberately and takes turns at the solo mic.

The toe-tapping music swings deliciously and is presented in a variety of different formats. Earth, Wind & Fire's "I'll Write a Song for You" is performed by the duo of Russell Malone on acoustic guitar and McBride on bowed bass. Together, they offer a lovely ballad with attention paid to the lyrical nature of the tune. Kool and the Gang's "Open Sesame" is performed as an arrangement that allows the dramatic intensity to leap out. Hutchinson and Craig, particularly, stretch out freely. McBride's composition "Wayne's World" follows with more drama. Together, these two tracks achieve what the leader intended when he put this session together: he's combined daring straight-ahead ideas with enjoyable and familiar R&B.

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