Christian McBride on electric

[Bruhman]

Hey guys,

I had the distinct honor of seeing ?uestlove's all-star project at the Blue Note in New York earlier this week with Christian McBride, Booker T. Jones (yes, as in "Booker T and the MG's), Eric Krasno (from Soulive), Gary Bartz and Nigel Hall on vocals.

I was surprised when I saw the stage and saw no acoustic bass. Christian only had both of his 5-string maple-neck Atelier Z's (one fretted, one fretless) setup. The grooves Christian and ?uestlove locked up on were SICK, SICK, SICK. You have no idea - the Blue Note was MOVING!! I can guarantee the Blue Note had never had that much funk in its walls. McBride was just laying down these bone crushing Jamerson-esque, Bootsy-esque grooves. It made me wonder why people sleep on him so much on electric. I know he has very few peers on acoustic, but I'm sorry, his electric playing deserves more credit than it gets.

Which brings me to two George Duke recordings that McBride plays on called "Face The Music" and "Duke". There's a track that I heard called "Ten Mile Jog" that I heard before I knew it was McBride. I thought it was Marcus Miller or somebody. When I saw it was McBride, I wanted to burn my bass forever. No one that awesome on acoustic should be shredding that cold on electric, too.

All of you worshipping Marcus and Victor, there's a very dangerous sniper named McBride lurking in the darkness that you all better stop sleeping on.

This gig with ?uestlove was mind-blowing.

[JimK]

McBride began as an EB player...but his URB really cast him as one of the young lions of Jazz. For awhile, I did not know he played EB...then one night I saw him on a Jazz Bass playing with Joshua Redman (Jacksonvill Jazz Fest on PBS...it's also on youtube).
He killed.
His solo discs with EB...kill.
Check out The 3-cd set Live At Tonic.
The Philadelphia Experiment with ?uestlove is also has some of that syncopated, displaced Funk.

You are correct: He gets mentioned very little here at TB.

[faivy]

+ 1 on the Philadelphia Experiment....Great CD!