Christian McBride - Vertical Vision

List Price: $13.96
Our Price: $4.82
You Save: $9.14 (65%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.62 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details

CD Details

Music reviews of Vertical Vision

Music Review: Stunning outing by monster bassist/composer/arranger McBride
Rating: 5 Stars

We seem to be blessed with an abundance of marvelous, even revelatory, jazz recordings that each in their own way meet the above criteria for greatness in what is still the first quarter of 2003. In no particular order, I would cite These Are the Vistas by the Bad Plus, Freak In by Dave Douglass, Smile by Jacky Terrasson, Grand Unification Theory by Stefon Harris, Cuban Odyssey by Jane Bunnett, Scolohofo, and certainly not least, Vertical Vision by 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 as McBride, still in his twenties, I believe, possesses get placed in such a listener-friendly setting. Any one of these cuts could be heard by a non-jazz fan and still be enjoyed, I believe. Yet, there is still plenty of compositional and improvisational meat for the hardcore jazzer.

Vertical Vision represents a significant step forward from McBride's last outing, Science Fiction. Each element-Latin, funk, straight-ahead, ballad-seems to be more organic, deeper, more natural. For Latin, check out the breezy, free-flowing "Song for Maya," with its glorious flute stylings by Ron Blake (here sounding more relaxed and mature than I've ever heard him). For funk, tune in on "Boogie Woogie Waltz," again featuring a transcendent Ron Blake, this time on soprano sax. Plus, that amazing keys-guy, the aptly named Geoff Keezer, gives perhaps his finest funk performance on record. Also on this track, check out Terreon Gully, who also magnificently contributes his prodigious percussion chops to Stefon Harris's Grand Unification Theory. I especially like his nuevo-African outro. For more funk, don't miss out on "Technicolor Nightmare," featuring some scorching guitar work from David Gilmore. For gorgeous balladry, dig into "Tahitian Pearl," with Keezer leading the way on some very tasty electric piano and Ron Blake persuasively swinging on tenor sax. Some of these cuts skate quite close to that dreaded musical hell-hole, "smooth jazz," but their compositional rigor combined with the players' deep commitment to and knowledge of the jazz tradition always steers them clear of disaster. For straight-ahead, there's "The Wizard of Montana," with its boppish feel, though tweaked, brilliantly, I'd say, by some very contemporary keys and electric bass treatments.

Highly recommended to anyone who loves gorgeous instrumental music.

Description of Vertical Vision

Jazz CDs

• Music > Styles
• Pop