Live at The Village Vanguard [2015]

Personnel: Christian Sands (piano); Ulysses Owens Jr. (drums).
Recording information: The Village Vanguard, New York, NY (12/12/2014-12/14/2014).
Illustrator: Keith H. Brown .
Photographer: Trevor Smith .
Recorded over three consecutive nights in December of 2014, Live at the Village Vanguard showcases bassist Christian McBride and his trio in concert at the storied New York venue. A four-time Grammy winner, McBride has been a superstar in the jazz world since debuting as a teenager in the late '80s. Here, McBride is joined by his trio bandmates, pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. This is the same outfit that recorded the swinging, sophisticated 2013 studio album Out Here. As with that release, Live at the Village Vanguard finds McBride diving headlong into a set of swaggering, lively standards, originals, and unexpected covers, including a take on the theme to the cult '70s comedy film Car Wash. ~ Matt Collar