Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Christian McBride: A Family Affair
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.
Track Listing
I'm Coming Home; A Dream of You; Family Affair; Theme from Our Fairytale; ? Or So You Thought; Summer Soft; Brown Funk; Open Sesame; Wayne's World; I?ll Write a Song for You.
Personnel
Christian McBride
bassChristian McBride: acoustic bass, electric bass; Charles Craig: piano, electric piano, synth; Tim Warfield: tenor saxophone; Gregory Hutchinson: drums; Russell Malone: acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Munyungo Jackson: percussion; Vintage Keys: synths; Will Downing, Vesta: vocals.
Album information
Title: A Family Affair | Year Released: 1998 | Record Label: Verve Music Group
About Christian McBride
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Christian McBride Concerts
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
