Christian McBride & Inside Straight
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Christian McBride & Inside Straight are billed for this Village Vanguard date. No individual performers, guests, tribute, release, residency, or other program details are provided, so the billing is the fullest account of the set available. The room places the stage at the point of its triangular layout, behind a red curtain, with tables radiating outward toward the musicians. Its audience capacity is 123, making the performance physically close without suggesting anything about the music itself.
The supplied material identifies the act by its billed name but offers no biography, origin, personnel history, recordings, collaborators, or critical notices for Christian McBride & Inside Straight. It therefore gives no basis for characterizing the group's sound or making claims about its reputation. What it does establish is the setting: Village Vanguard is a basement room whose walls carry portraits of jazz legends; drinks are available at the bar, no food is served, and listeners are asked for silence before the concert. Excellent acoustics and a room arranged around the stage put attention on the performance.
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.