Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Christian McBride: Live at the Village Vanguard

Christian McBride: Live at the Village Vanguard

By Edward Blanco
February 20, 2022
View read count

Christian McBride: Live at the Village Vanguard

Bassist Christian McBride records his first live album with his highly-acclaimed quintet known as the Inside Straight, documenting an incredible evening of music on Live At The Village Vanguard. The album showcases outstanding performances from every member of the band. It is McBride's twelfth release on Mack Avenue and it was the Inside Straight quintet that began the bassist's collaboration with Mack Avenue in 2009. After a week-long sold-out debut appearance by the group at New York's jazz club in 2007, the Village Vanguard, performing there became a regular musical experience.

The inside Straight Quintet is comprised of an all-star cast of musicians that produce an explosive straight-ahead sound. Besides the leader on bass there is

Steve Wilson

saxophone
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Wilson on alto and soprano saxophones, vibraphonist

Warren Wolf

vibraphone
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Warren Wolf,

Peter Martin

piano
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Martin on the piano and

Carl Allen

drums
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Carl Allen on the drums—together packing a musical punch evidenced by the many crowd ovations heard throughout the session.

The repertoire consists of seven original compositions from members of the band: one from Wilson, two from Wolf and four from the leader. An interesting feature of the recording is that there are no short tunes, with the majority of the performances being over ten-minutes long. From the opening "Sweet Bread," driven by Wolf's magical vibes, to the beautiful piano lines on the engaging "Fair Hope Theme," and the delicate soprano voice on "Ms. Angelou," each of the tunes has something to offer.

Other performances not to be missed are the perky "The Shade of the Cedar Tree," the fifteen-minute-long burner "Gang Gang," as well as the delicious "Uncle James" and closing with the hard-driving "Stick & More." This is one of those live recordings one would be likely to say "wish I were there." No doubt about it, Christian McBride has another Grammy contender on his hands.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Sweet Bread; Fair Hope Theme; Ms. Angelou; The Shade of the Cedar Tree; Gang Gang; Uncle james; Stick and Move.

Personnel

Christian McBride

bass

Steve Wilson

saxophone

Warren Wolf

vibraphone

Peter Martin

piano

Carl Allen

drums

Album information

Title: Live at the Village Vanguard | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Mack Avenue Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Path Under
< Previous

A new release from Australian pianis...
Next >

Christian McBride Concerts

Oct 2 Thu

Christian McBride & Brad Mehldau @ Clarice Smith...

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park, MD

Oct 4 Sat

Christian McBride & Brad Mehldau @ The Flynn

Flynn Center for The Performing Arts
Burlington, VT

Oct 5 Sun

Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau

Sanders Theatre
Cambridge, MA

Oct 7 Tue

Christian Mcbride & Brad Mehldau

Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Minneapolis, MN

Oct 7 Tue

Christian Mcbride & Brad Mehldau

Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Minneapolis, MN

Oct 8 Wed

Christian Mcbride & Brad Mehldau

Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Minneapolis, MN

Oct 8 Wed

Christian Mcbride & Brad Mehldau

Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant
Minneapolis, MN

Oct 15 Wed

Christian McBride & Brad Mehldau @ The Wallis

Wallis Annenberg Center For The Performing Arts
Beverly Hills, CA

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.