CHRISTIAN McBRIDE BIG BAND “Without Further Ado, Vol. 1”

ARTIST

Christian McBride Big Band

ALBUM TITLE

“Without Further Ado, Vol. 1”

LABEL

Mack Avenue

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A formidable deployment of forces marks the celebrated bassist’s new album. The title suggests a sequel – which one hopes will be more cohesive than this patchwork of illustrious and less illustrious guests, some of whom are clearly past their prime. Among these is the venerable soul singer Jeffrey Osborne, who hasn’t released a truly satisfying record since 1985, and former Police members Sting and Andy Summers, both of whom have seen brighter days. Balancing them are two radiant voices of the younger generation – Samara Joy and Cécile McLorin Salvant – alongside the great Dianne Reeves from the previous one. José James remains as elusive as ever, his artistic profile still difficult to pin down, while Antoinette Henry, though competent, has yet to make a distinctive mark.

Though the album is performed and arranged with the expected professionalism, its purpose remains somewhat opaque until one learns that it celebrates the orchestra’s role as the resident band for gala evenings at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. McBride has served as the Center’s musical director since 2012, and the guest list reflects artists who have appeared there – as, presumably, will those on the next volume. Within this framework, Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 falls squarely on the “institutional” side of McBride’s career. It does not expand his artistic legacy, yet it will almost certainly find favor with Grammy juries – which seems to have been its raison d’être from the start.

The record has everything needed to please the general public and those not normally drawn to jazz: it is impeccably polished, comfortably nostalgic, and reassuringly smooth. Even Nabate Isles’ brief solo on the lumbering “Murder by Numbers” – which moves along like a traffic jam at the end of August – does little to disturb the overall cruise-ship atmosphere. Heroes, too, must age, and it would be naïve to expect the same Sting who once let Frank Zappa mischievously point out the harmonic resemblance between “Murder by Numbers” and “Stolen Moments.” Different times – and a different temperament. McLorin Salvant, Joy and Reeves deliver with class, though never venture beyond the elegant minimum required. José James’s attempt to channel Jon Hendricks exceeds his current reach. Osborne revisits the song that brought him fame in 1977 with L.T.D., while Henry offers a solid but unremarkable contribution.

In his acknowledgements, McBride pays homage to Quincy Jones – a master of conceiving, convening and commanding such vast musical gatherings with incomparable flair and, crucially, with a creative spark that is conspicuously absent here. The result is undeniably smooth and pleasant, yet by the third listen it feels like a fizzy drink that has gone flat. Take it for what it is – as the poet said, there’s no need to make a drama out of it.

– Luca Conti

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