Christian McBride & Inside Straight
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Christian McBride brings Inside Straight, his acoustic jazz quintet, to the Village Vanguard. The group pairs McBride on bass with Steve Wilson on alto and soprano saxophone, Warren Wolf on vibraphone, Peter Martin on piano and Carl Allen on drums. Formed for a Vanguard engagement in 2007, Inside Straight returns to the room where McBride recorded the band’s December 2014 set, later released as Live at the Village Vanguard.
Philadelphia-born McBride formed the group as a return to acoustic, straight-ahead jazz. NPR calls its approach “straight-ahead, hard-swinging jazz,” while The Arts Fuse hears “no-holds-barred-swinging” in the band’s post-bop framework and improvising. McBride’s wider career includes work with Sting, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Freddie Hubbard, James Brown and Paul McCartney. Reviewers have singled out Wolf’s “swinging luminosity,” Wilson’s “hard-bop lyricism,” Allen’s “prodigious work-rate” and Martin’s authoritative playing; DownBeat found the live record full of “bravura moments.”
A narrow basement staircase leads to a triangular room with a red curtain and a stage at the point, where musicians play for a small audience of 123. Tables open like spokes from the stage, and the walls hold portraits of jazz legends. The acoustics are excellent, and the only sound before the music begins is the hum of the room. No food is served, only drinks at a bar. Shows start at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., with seating beginning at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively. The atmosphere is focused entirely on the music, with silence requested before the concert begins.