Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Christian McBride's New Jawn: Prime

11

Christian McBride's New Jawn: Prime

By

Sign in to view read count
Christian McBride's New Jawn: Prime
"Head Bedlam," crashes from the gate with a gale force which instantly gives away the plot of Prime. Put simply, the sophomore release from maverick bassist Christian McBride's New Jawn (Philadelphia slang for something not yet named or created) is a free-form steeplechase. Crying, screeching, testifying, New Jawn trumpeter Josh Evans and saxophonist & bass clarinetist Marcus Strickland blow wild and loud over drummer Nasheet Waits' tumbling manifesto and McBride's deep-rooted thrumbling, to summon forth the ancestors (Ornette Coleman for starters) to jam with the new brash generation in a funky, wheeling swagger.

With trigger quick wit and telepathy Prime's flagship track develops into a full-on, fun-house jam as the delightfully chord-less quintet run roughshod over this and all of Prime's eight master class tracks. "Obsequious" with its runaway railroad momentum finds McBride riding high throughout, setting the pace, breaking it, escaping it, soaring and whiplashing all around, in-between and upside right side among his fellow rousers with a cool liquidity that few master.

In perpetual, emblematic motion, Prime (released through Brother Mister Productions, McBride's Mack Avenue Music Group imprint) crests and subsides, fitting New Jawn's composure just fine. "The Lurkers," with its brooding alien spacecraft soundtrack, dissolves into the frisky samba of "The Good Life." Waits takes command here but not without hand-to-hand combat with a clear throated Evans, whose tone ranges from clarion to vamp, with Strickland's brawny tenor hot on his heels, bringing the swing and clearing the way for McBride to add his juice to the equation. The free-spirited "Dolphy Dust," highlighting yet another firebrand McBride solo, and the fiery closer "East Broadway Rundown" take on all skeptics and non-believers that New Jawn is the new deal. Yes, it is. The proof is in the music and there is plenty of that on Prime; sure to be a fixture in best of 2023 lists.

Track Listing

Head Bedlam; Prime; Moonchild; Obsequiois; The Lurkers; The Good Life; Dolphy Dust; East Broadway Rubdown.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Prime | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Brother Mister Productions

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.