Christian McBride Quartet featuring Roy McCurdy
Village Vanguard178 7th Avenue South, New York 10014
Christian McBride brings his quartet to the Village Vanguard for the 10 p.m. set, with Roy McCurdy featured on the bill. The listing does not name the quartet’s other players or specify a programme, so the night is best understood as a McBride-led small-group performance with McCurdy as the named guest. It takes place in the Vanguard’s triangular downstairs room, where the stage sits at the point of the room and the audience is asked to settle into silence before the music begins.
Philadelphia-born bassist Christian McBride has worked across jazz, R&B, pop/rock, and hip-hop/neo-soul. Earlier coverage of his quartet praised its “tight ensemble play,” “give-and-take,” and “individual virtuosity,” while Variety described his music as marrying “funk and post-bop.” Those observations concern earlier performances rather than this particular Vanguard set, whose repertoire and personnel beyond McBride and McCurdy are not given. McCurdy is best known for his contributions to Cannonball Adderley’s Quintet, a significant point of reference for a drummer joining this billed group, though it does not establish what this quartet will play.
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.