For Y'all Christian Mcbride - 2002 Vertical Vision

The celebrated jazz educator, original bassist, composer, in addition to arranger, Christian McBride provides a novel recording, told inward a linguistic communication of blazing originality. Vertical Vision is a multi-layered musical even out that features beautiful solos, cracking grooves, funky riffs, in addition to virtuosic performances past times each bandmember. The recording also reveals McBride's passion for potent writing, vivid accompaniment, in addition to eclectic melodic voicings that remain amongst listeners long afterwards the tape ends. On this, his debut for Warner Brothers Jazz, McBride creates a dazzling weave of passionate rhythms, musical forms, in addition to bass voicings amongst his longtime bandmate Ron Blake on saxophones in addition to flute. Geoff Keezer on pianoforte in addition to keyboards, Terreon Gully on drums, David Gilmore on both acoustic in addition to electrical guitars, in addition to Danny Sadownick on percussion add together their flavorful interpretations, which elevate their performances to some other score at each subsequent listen. The songs were inspired past times in addition to reverberate a diversity of subjects including the beautiful original "Song for Maya," which is played superbly past times the ensemble in addition to features the fantabulous flute move of Ron Blake. It is the virtually beautiful of all in addition to the ane that makes its way, similar the describe solid unit of measurement it has come upwards to represent, into your heart. "Lejos de Usted" -- which is filled amongst beautiful horn voices in addition to the vertical visions of McBride on acoustic bass -- is inundation amongst Latin nuance in addition to it is there, melding the borders betwixt jazz in addition to Latin rhythms. Top picks: "Technicolor Nightmare,""Tahitian Pearl," "Song for Maya," in addition to "Boogie Woogie Waltz." Overall, Vertical Vision is a masterpiece that is beautiful, spirited, brimming amongst energy, in addition to meets the same high standards ready in addition to achieved on Sci-Fi.

Vertical Vision is bassist Christian McBride's Warner Bros. debut. Equally expert on acoustic in addition to electric, McBride is a long-running Sting sideman, every bit good every bit a fellow member of the belatedly Ray Brown's inspirational SuperBass trio. Christian's ain band is a really stable unit, its rapport thoroughly road-tested. The disc opens amongst a brief flare-up of 78rpm crackling, earlier McBride abruptly rips that former shellac off the thespian in addition to substitutes the heavy-rockin' funk of his "Technicolor Nightmare." Both McBride in addition to keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer are fond of convoluted tune lines, but their prettiness is unremarkably scarred past times the serrated surfaces turned out past times saxophonist Ron Blake in addition to guitarist David Gilmore (not the fellow member of Pink Floyd). It's Keezer's ballad tendencies that virtually retain their smoothen sheen. McBride's "The Wizard of Montara" is brusk in addition to boppish, piece his "Ballad of Little Girl Dancer" is the funkiest number, loaded upwards amongst chirping synths. Other highlights are the intricate "Lejos de Usted" in addition to Joe Zawinul's "Boogie Woogie Waltz," where McBride gets to give the axe upwards his ain fingers. This whole disc is really much inward thrall to swirling 1970s fusion, in addition to given a hard, dense production vogue that sometimes errs towards dulled in addition to muted, specially amongst the savage stone heaviness of Terreon Gully's drums. This muscular delivery of sometimes lightweight tunes manages to bring a mixed message of risk-taking danger in addition to commercial adaptability.

There's a matter jazz artists require keep been struggling to practise for every bit long every bit jazz has been identified every bit an authentic American pop music form: That's to brand music that's truthful to its rich tradition of African-Creole rhythms (often filtered through a Latin lens), classical harmonies, in addition to (perhaps the fundamental element) improvisation, piece withal beingness listenable in addition to accessible. What all every bit good oftentimes happens is that ane or to a greater extent than of these elements gets brusk shrift, in addition to the music consequently slips into some form of pseudo-jazz never-never land, a la "smooth jazz," "pop-jazz," or some other awful hybrid. Or, conversely, the music remains truthful to its heritage but becomes accessible solely to the cognoscenti. To brand hip, knowledgeable, authentic jazz is forthwith and, really, ever has been, something of a feat.
We appear to hold upwards blessed amongst an abundance of marvelous, fifty-fifty revelatory, jazz recordings that each inward their ain agency encounter the inward a higher house criteria for greatness inward what is withal the showtime quarter of 2003. In no detail order, I would advert These Are the Vistas past times the Bad Plus, Freak In past times Dave Douglass, Smile past times Jacky Terrasson, Grand Unification Theory past times Stefon Harris, Cuban Odyssey past times Jane Bunnett, Scolohofo, in addition to for certain non least, Vertical Vision past times the Christian McBride Band.
In some ways, Vertical Vision is my favorite of all. It's greatest virtue is its listenability. Seldom does such prodigious technique every bit McBride, withal inward his twenties, I believe, possesses instruct placed inward such a listener-friendly setting. Any ane of these cuts could hold upwards heard past times a non-jazz fan in addition to withal hold upwards enjoyed, I believe. Yet, in that location is withal enough of compositional in addition to improvisational meat for the hardcore jazzer.
Vertical Vision represents a pregnant stride frontward from McBride's final outing, Science Fiction. Each element-Latin, funk, straight-ahead, ballad-seems to hold upwards to a greater extent than organic, deeper, to a greater extent than natural. For Latin, banking concern correspond out the breezy, free-flowing "Song for Maya," amongst its glorious flute stylings past times Ron Blake (here sounding to a greater extent than relaxed in addition to mature than I've ever heard him). For funk, tune inward on "Boogie Woogie Waltz," ane time to a greater extent than featuring a transcendent Ron Blake, this fourth dimension on soprano sax. Plus, that amazing keys-guy, the aptly named Geoff Keezer, gives maybe his finest funk surgical operation on record. Also on this track, banking concern correspond out Terreon Gully, who also magnificently contributes his prodigious percussion chops to Stefon Harris's Grand Unification Theory. I especially similar his nuevo-African outro. For to a greater extent than funk, don't missy out on "Technicolor Nightmare," featuring some scorching guitar move from David Gilmore. For gorgeous balladry, dig into "Tahitian Pearl," amongst Keezer leading the agency on some really tasty electrical pianoforte in addition to Ron Blake persuasively swinging on tenor sax. Some of these cuts skate quite around that dreaded musical hell-hole, "smooth jazz," but their compositional rigor combined amongst the players' deep commitment to in addition to noesis of the jazz tradition ever steers them clear of disaster. For straight-ahead, there's "The Wizard of Montana," amongst its boppish feel, though tweaked, brilliantly, I'd say, past times some really contemporary keys in addition to electrical bass treatments.
Highly recommended to anyone who loves gorgeous instrumental music.

I approximate David Weitz actually doesn't similar this CD. That much has been established - TWICE! Once again, the comparisons to Weather Report are simply apparently LAZY. He says, "listen to the original version of "Boogie Woogie Waltz" - it's far superior" OF COURSE information technology IS, SILLY!! It's the original! You withal haven't addressed Christian on his ain path. For goodness sakes, this is non his solely CD. He forthwith has, I mean value 5. Are you lot proverb none of his five are worthy of compositional praise? Herbie Hancock in addition to Pat Metheny both require keep said he was a fine composer. You gonna fence amongst them? I dare you. 

Vertical Vision is superb. Many sax driven groups tin can audio the same in addition to oftentimes elbow grease to recreate the audio of jazz inward the 1960s. Christian McBride's band is dissimilar in addition to on this album they contain electrical instruments in addition to modern rhythms. Every band fellow member is a virtuoso in addition to they all play amongst enthusiasm. There are some amazing solos but the music also sounds contemporary, it's jazz for the introduce day.

Ron Blake plays saxophones in addition to flute, Geoff Keezer is on pianoforte in addition to keyboards, Terreon Gully plays drums, David Gilmore is on both acoustic in addition to electrical guitars, in addition to Danny Sadownick plays percussion. It takes a few plays to actually appreciate this album, but it contains some cracking music.

Track listing:

No.     Title     Length
1.     "Circa 1990 (McBride)"       0:16
2.     "Technicolor Nightmare (McBride)"       8:26
3.     "Tahitian Pearl (Geoffery Keezer)"       6:26
4.     "The Wizard of Montara (McBride)"       3:40
5.     "The Ballad of Little Girl Dancer (McBride)"       5:38
6.     "Lejos de Usted (McBride)"       4:52
7.     "Precious One (Geoffrey Keezer)"       5:54
8.     "Song For Maya (Ron Blake)"       4:08
9.     "Boogie Woogie Waltz (Joe Zawinul)"       9:09

Personnel:

    Christian McBride – Bass (Upright, Electric)
    Ron Blake – Sax (Tenor, Soprano), Flute
    Geoffrey Keezer – Piano, Keyboards
    Terreon Gully – Drums
    David Gilmore – Guitar(Acoustic, Electric)
    Danny Sadownick – Percussion