COMPOSERS: Christian McBride Trio
LABELS: Mac Avenue Records
ALBUM TITLE: Christian McBride Trio: Out Here
WORKS: Out Here
PERFORMER: Christian Sands (piano), Christian McBride (bass), Ulysees Owens Jr (drums)
CATALOGUE NO: MAC1069
‘Out Here’ is a revelation. This is the first disc in which long-established bassist Christian McBride appears with his new trio (rather than his usual quintet) and it demonstrates top playing by all. It will appeal to fans of straight-ahead jazz but there are also bluesy edges. But what is so striking is the piano work of Christian Sands, a student of the late jazz educationalist Dr Billy Taylor. Clearly one to watch, Sands comes to the fore early in McBride’s bluesy opener ‘Ham Hocks and Cabbage’ while demonstrating his scope for improvisational exploration in the standard ‘My Favorite Things’.
Owens Jr underpins the action in this rhythm-tight trio, while McBride yet again proves why he is a master of bass technique, switching from fingers to bow. The outstanding track is ‘Hallelujah Time’, where Sands absolutely nails this composition by pianist Oscar Peterson.
Neil McKim