Conversations With Christian

Christian McBride | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 8, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mack Avenue
• ASIN: B005NZWMFI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,038 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #58 in Music > Jazz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is easily one of his most compelling albums., November 24, 2011

By 

Miss Congeniality (Portobello, Edinburgh) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conversations With Christian (Audio CD)

"Conversations with Christian" is an unusual release, as it features the veteran bassist playing duets with a number of good friends.
The vocal meetings include Angélique Kidjo, Sting, and Dee Dee Bridgewater (the latter with a hilarious, funky cover of the Isley Brothers' signature song "It's Your Thing").
The pairings with musicians of McBride's generation (trumpeter Roy Hargrove, tenor saxophonist Ron Blake, and guitarist Russell Malone) all exceed expectations.
There are several enjoyable duets with pianists, one featuring Latin jazz master Eddie Palmieri, a duo improvised tango by Chick Corea and the leader, plus an all too rare acoustic outing by the talented George Duke (who tears up the keyboard with his hard-charging "McDukey Blues").
But McBride's meetings with Dr. Billy Taylor (playing his beautiful "Spiritual" with some potent arco playing by the bassist) and the elegant, swinging meeting with the gifted jazz master Hank Jones ("Alone Together") remain moments to savor, as they are among the final recordings by the two jazz greats, both of whom died in 2010.
The last track is a funky blues just for laughs, with actress Gina Gershon joining the bassist by playing a Jew's harp, with lots of comic spoken exchanges between the two. Throughout it all, Christian McBride plays with the chameleon-like adaptability of a Milt Hinton or Ray Brown.
In the two-plus decades since arriving on the jazz scene, Christian McBride has demonstrated that he is a jazz master in the making, and this is easily one of his most compelling albums. K. Dryden

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Place to Hide: Acoustic Bass Duets, November 19, 2011

By 

Dr. Debra Jan Bibel "World Music Explorer" (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conversations With Christian (Audio CD)

A vocalist or another soloist, an acoustic bass: stark, raw music. Everything must go right because otherwise flaws are strikingly evident. Such a duet is one of the more interesting sounds in jazz, and it gives a bassist, who normally plays the background rhythm, the opportunity to perform melody and counterpoint as an equal. Christian McBride, one of the leading bassists today, had invited some other stellar musicians to be his partner in this innovative album. Angélique Kidjo from Benin starts the album with African roots, and Regina Carter's violin brings Bach into a jazz groove (it always works, ever since the Swingle Singers). Sting next offers his smooth rock blues. An Afro-Cuban beat is exemplified by the great Eddie Palmieri's piano work. This is followed by Baubles, Bangles and Beads, the old Broadway tune, which is twisted and enlivened by Roy Hargrove's trumpet. An elegant Spiritual by the elegant Dr. Billy Taylor is the next track. The third vocal belongs to Dee Dee Bridgewater, proving that a vocalist needs only a bass on stage. Three piano tracks by jazz veterans, Hank Jones, George Duke, and Chick Corea are widely different in style, from sophisticated modern to abstract avant-garde. Russell Malone and his electric guitar follow with a rendering of Sister Rosa where each musician takes turn in support and lead, but the similar timbre of strings does not work for me. Ron Blake and his saxophone, however, provides a night-and-day difference and his jazz is solid, taking me back to a small, smoky 1950s club. The final track is utterly amazing: a jew's-harp performance like you never had heard before! Gina Gershon is the star here who has extraordinary control in echoing the bass's many riffs and producing some wild sounds. Chitlins and Gefiltefish is a fun title for a happy, funky, and hilarious track that includs vocal comments and jive. In short, this album is unique and a bassist's dream. Albums that feature different artists on each track, as anthologies, may lack coherence and not always satisfy the listener. McBride keeps it together.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy better speakers, November 28, 2011

By 

Oli C - See all my reviews

This review is from: Conversations With Christian (Audio CD)

I was hooked from the first track, and amazed by the range of genres that the album takes in. This is partly because it features a wide range of guest players and singers who have reputations in very different parts of the music world. But it's also a testament to how good Christian is. He has had a long career supporting so many artists, it's no wonder that he can play in so many different ways. The end result is that whoever you are, whatever you normally listen to, you will inevitably find something you love in this album. Do you like music? Then you should buy it. And then you should buy speakers that can do his bass justice (mine were sometimes left buzzing in defeat!)