Presented in-house. Reviewed March 29, 1995.
Band: McBride, Anthony Wonsey, Tim Warfield, Carl Allen.
The decadelong wave of young jazz stars has generated its ranks all from the front-lines of mentors such as Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard and Betty Carter. The first instrumentalist to step up from the back may well be the best of the lot -- the musician with the technical, compositional and emotional skills to take jazz to another plane: bassist Christian McBride.
In his L.A. debut as a leader, McBride displayed shades of brilliance and gentle humility; in a generous set of five originals, from his Verve debut "Gettin' To It" to a crafty take on the standard "Cherokee," McBride asserted himself and allowed the band members time for exploration as soloists and as a unit. This was anything but a night of bass solos.
Saxophonist Tim Warfield gave the affair a decidedly John Coltrane-bent in both his tone and probing solos and at times you could close your eyes and actually believe it was 'Trane's 1960 combo with Paul Chambers leading the group with his bass. At other moments -- particularly when the unit was performing as a trio -- images of Cannonball Aderley, Ramsey Lewis and Bill Evans drifted through the room.
McBride introduced pianist Anthony Wonsey as a musician who expands his talent daily and, while he is certainly adept at accompaniment and expressive soloing, he is still searching for an individual voice. Drummer Carl Allen meshed exquisitely withMcBride, with whom he has previously collaborated in the bands of Hubbard and pianist Benny Green. The two communicate intrinsically, always knowing where the other is headed and how best to amplify the other's intentions.
McBride has always been impressive in previous stops with Green and saxophonist Joshua Redman, and Wednesday was no different. His recent New York stand consisted of three sellouts a night for an entire week at the Village Vanguard. He deservedthe same in L.A.
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Date in print: Mon., Apr. 3, 1995