Houston Person really sounds great in this later date for Muse Records – definitely the older lion in the title, surrounded by a younger pride of players who really make the record swing! The set's got a rock-solid rhythm section with Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Winard Harper on drums – that kind of in the pocket combo that was often the driving force of a Person-produced Muse Records session like this. Philip Harper's also in the frontline on trumpet, sparkling nicely next to the tenor – and the tunes have a relatively laidback feel, and a rich sound that hardly shows the date of the record at all. Titles include "Dig", "Dear Heart", "Sweet Love", "Like Someone In Love", and "Captain Hook". CD

A now-legendary set from the Philadelphia underground at the start of the century – a package that reminds us just how much great music has always been going on in the city, often far from the mainstream! This set corrected that fact, by bringing together a trio of three genre-stepping musicians – drummer Questlove, jazz bassist Christian McBride, and keyboardist Uri Caine, who plays some great Fender Rhodes and Hammond B-3 on the set! The core grooves are by the trio, working together in a way that's not that different from the freestyle funk of Medeski, Martin, & Wood back when they used to care a bit more about the groove – and the group's joined on a few tracks by guests, including Pat Martino on guitar, Jon Swana on trumpet, and Larry Gold on cello. The best cuts on the set have a hard beat underneath, warm rolling basslines, and washes of keyboards over the top to keep things nice and sweet. Titles include "The Miles Hit", "Call For All Demons", "Grover", "Ain't It The Truth", "Mister Magic", "Philadelphia Freedom", and "Lesson #4". CD

Billy Pierce on tenor sax, Donald Brown on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums. CD

Dan Pratt on tenor and alto sax, Mike Eckroth on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. CD

An excellent overview of the early Wallace Roney work for Muse Records – brilliant sessions that helped Roney redefine the sound of the trumpet for a whole new generation! Roney's sound was one of the boldest, brightest on the label – and on records like this he really shines – working with an array of like-minded young lions who include Ravi Coltrane, Donald Brown, Antoine Roney, Christian McBride, and Cindy Blackman – on titles that include "Blue In Green", "Obsession", "Daahoud", "Lost", "For Duke", "Donna Lee", and "Love For Sale". CD

Bassist Marlene Rosenberg leads a hell of a trio here – one that features Kenny Barron on piano and Lewis Nash on drums – both tremendous players who sound even better in the round, rich company of Rosenberg's bass! Most titles are trio numbers, but driven as much by the bass as by the always-wonderful work of Barron – and the tunes include many originals by Marlene – instrumentals, but with a current of the more righteous energy promised by the title. One exception is the great "Not The Song I Wanna Sing" – a number that has Rosenberg on vocals while Christian McBride handles the bass – alongside other vocal contributions from Thomas Burrell and Robert Irving III – which help make the song the most political number on the set. Titles include "The Line Between", "American Violet", "Togetherness", "And Still we Rise", "Visions", "The Barron", "Rain", "Love's In Need Of Love Today", and "Not The Song I Wanna Sing". CD

Gary Smulyan on baritone sax – with Christian McBride on bass and Billy Drummond on drums! CD

A relatively recent set from pianist McCoy Tyner, but one that shows the same great ear for choosing a horn that we love in his 70s classics! As with those records, a key force on the recording here is altoist Gary Bartz – a player who's always great on his own, but seems to take on a special energy in the company of Tyner – really stretching out with a soulful, spiritual vibe that matches McCoys musical vision wonderfully! Trumpeter Terence Blanchard is also in the group – a bit more let loose than usual – and the combo's completed by Christian McBride on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. Titles include "Angelina", "Illuminations", "New Orleans Stomp", "The Chase", "West Philly Tone Poem", and "Soulstice". CD

Understated genius from McCoy Tyner – and exactly the sort of record that shows why his catalog is always worth searching out! The album's got a lot more subtlety than his immediate post-Coltrane sides of the 70s – righteousness maybe a bit more on the backburner, but not so much so that the album loses its soul – because even though the title's maybe a bit uptown, the execution's a lot more down to earth – filled with warm changes and sharply personal moments, played by a group that includes Dewey Redman on tenor, Antonio Hart on alto, Christian McBride on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums. Titles include "Contemplation", "For All We Know", "I Will Wait For You", "Smile", "Soul Eyes", "Piano Sonata No 8 In C Minor", and "Prelude In E Minor". CD

Two great 90s sessions from Cedar Walton – back to back in a single set! Composer is a record that not only shows off the great skills of pianist Cedar Walton as a composer, but one that also shows how he can really work a special sort of magic when he lets some horns into his group, and shifts from his usual mode in a trio! Walton's always wonderful on the keys – and works here with Christian McBride on bass and Victor Lewis on drums – but it's the presence of the hornmen on the record who really shade things wonderfully – the presence of Vincent Herring on alto, Ralph Moore on tenor, and Roy Hargrove on trumpet – all really bringing out some great qualities in Walton's original tunes. Titles include "Martha's Prize", "Minor Controversy", "Hindsight", "Groove Passage", "Theme For Jobim", and "Groundwork". Roots is a masterpiece of color from pianist Cedar Walton – a set that has all the right elements and instruments really opening up his sound! The core trio is excellent – Cedar on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and the great Lewis Nash on drums – at his crackling 90s best – yet these players are expanded in all these great tonal ways – with rich tenor from Joshua Redman, sparkling trumpet from Terence Blanchard, and great guitar from Mark Whitfield – who really seems to echo Cedar's sense of color on his strings. Titles include "Mode For Joe", "Bolivia", "Fiesta Espanol", "Firm Roots", "I'll Let You Know", and "When Love Is New". CD

Michael Wolff on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. CD

With Christian McBride & Reuben Rogers on bass, Mark Whitfield on guitar, Daniel Sadownick on percussion, Anthony Wonsey on piano, Cyrus Chestnut on piano & organ, Vincent Herring on saxophone, Nicholas Payton on trumpet & Kevin Mahogany on vocals. CD

Don Braden on tenor, Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

Ray Brown on bass, Geoffrey Keezer on piano, and Karriem Riggins on drums – plus a second disc of previously unreleased recordings with Monty Alexander, Benny Green, Christian McBride, and others. CD

With Christian McBride & John Patitucci on bass, Horacio Hernandez & Lewis Nash on drums, Russell Malone on guitar, Danilo Perez, Makoto Ozone & Mulgrew Miller on piano & Luis Quintero on percussion. CD

A relatively mellow recent effort from Bobby Hutcherson – one that has him playing both vibes and marimba, and going for a laidback style that allows plenty of spaces for tonal colors and shades of sound! The group's a quintet, with Kenny Garrett on alto, Geri Allen on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Al Foster on drums – and in a way, the album's kind of a link between Hutcherson's inside work of the Landmark years, and some of his more exploratory work of the late 70s. Titles include "The Coaster", "Candle", "Tres Palabras", "Delilah", "Who's Got You", and "Pomponio". CD

Features Jimmy Smith on organ, Mark Turner, Ron Blake, and Tim Warfield on tenor sax, Abraham Burton on alto, Nicholas Payton and Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Christian McBride on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. CD

A record that not only shows off the great skills of pianist Cedar Walton as a composer, but one that also shows how he can really work a special sort of magic when he lets some horns into his group, and shifts from his usual mode in a trio! Walton's always wonderful on the keys – and works here with Christian McBride on bass and Victor Lewis on drums – but it's the presence of the hornmen on the record who really shade things wonderfully – the presence of Vincent Herring on alto, Ralph Moore on tenor, and Roy Hargrove on trumpet – all really bringing out some great qualities in Walton's original tunes. Titles include "Martha's Prize", "Minor Controversy", "Hindsight", "Groove Passage", "Theme For Jobim", and "Groundwork". CD

James Williams on piano and organ, Christian McBride on bass, Tony Reedus on drums, Billy Pierce on tenor and soprano saxophone, Clark Terry on trumpet, vocals and flugelhorn, and Steve Nelson on vibraphone. CD

Don Braden on tenor sax and flute – with Scott Wendholt on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Wilson on alto, Noah Bless on trombone, Darrell Grant on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

We're not sure what a neck-peckin jammie is, but drummer Cecil Brooks really makes us want to know more – as the sound of this set is solidly soulful, and way deeper than you might guess from the cartoony image on the cover! Brooks has some very sharp help here in the group – Craig Handy on tenor and soprano sax, Justin Robinson on alto, and Terell Stafford on trumpet – a really bold frontline that steps out beautifully with Cecil's strongly rhythmic insistence – supported even further in these efforts by Geoff Keezer on piano and Christian McBride on bass. Tracks are easygoing and soulfully flowing – just the sort of soul jazz that Muse Records always got so right – and tunes include "In Jody's Corner", "Hill District", "Yvette", "Creepin", "One By One", "Blues Citizens", and "Mood Swings". CD

Christian McBride, John Clayton Jr, and Ray Brown on bass, Benny Green on piano, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. CD

Features a long list of guest musicians including Roy Hargrove, Jon Hendricks, Joe Lovano, Gerry Mulligan, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride and George Shearing. CD

With Christian McBride on bass. CD

Johnny Griffin on tenor sax, Roy Hargrove on trumpet and flugelhorn, Kenny Barron and Peter Martin on piano, Christian McBride and Rodney Whitaker on bass, and Victor Lewis or Gregory Hutchinson on drums. CD

Jim Hall on guitar with Scott Colley, Charlie Haden, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, and George Mraz on bass. CD

Features Anthony Wilson on guitar, Christian McBride on bass, and either Peter Erskine, Jeff Hamilton, or Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. CD

Joe Lovano and Joshua Redman on tenor sax, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Christian McBride on bass, Lewis Nash on drums, and Don Alias on percussion. CD

Forget the hokey cover and title, because this set is one of Harold Mabern's best of the 90s – delivered with that subtle soulfulness that's always made us love his piano work so much! There's a beautifully stripped-down sense of lyricism to the set – as Mabern's work on keys dances around full bass work from Christian McBride, plus some nicely economical drums from Tony Reedus – whose playing here is gentle enough that it's almost letting the bass drive the groove of the set. Mabern follows suit by exploring the deeper ranges of the piano with effortless creativity – stretching out especially well on the album's versions of older jazz standards like "Ladybird", "Jeannine", "Grooveyard", and "Minority" – as well as his own composition "Aon". CD

Jimmy Smith on organ with Christian McBride on bass, Gregory Hutchinson on drums, Mark Whitfield on guitar and Nicholas Payton and Roy Hargrove on trumpet. CD

Maybe the straightest jazz set we've heard to date from Kandace Springs – a record that's got a great old school vibe overall, and the sorts of moody, dark-tinged qualities that takes us back to vintage material by Abbey Lincoln or Nina Simone – something we might not have said about Kandace on previous albums! Springs plays piano, and mostly keeps things in a tight combo mode – with her vocals in the lead, but with occasional guest help from artists who include Chris Potter on tenor, Avishai Cohen on trumpet, David Sanborn on alto, Christian McBride on bass, and Norah Jones on piano and vocals – on tunes penned by artists as diverse as Bob Dorough, Hoagy Carmichael, Lauryn Hill, and Sade. Titles include "Devil May Care", "The Nearness Of You", "Strange Fruit", "Killing Me Softly", "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "Ex-Factor", "Pearls", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Gentle Rain". CD

McCoy Tyner on piano, Joe Lovano on saxophone, Christian McBride on bass, and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. CD

James Williams on piano and organ, Christian McBride on bass, Tony Reedus on drums, Billy Pierce on tenor and soprano saxophone, Clark Terry on trumpet, vocals and flugelhorn, and Steve Nelson on vibraphone. CD

An exceptional album from Willie Williams – a vastly under-rated tenor player of the past few decades! Willie works in the same territory as Bobby Watson and Ralph Moore – a post-70s mode of soul jazz, inflected by hardbop roots, but often opening up with a freer sense of space and exploration. This album's one of Willie's greatest – a collection of open-minded tunes recorded with a quartet that includes Geoff Keezer on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – all working in a style that shows that soul jazz is alive and well in the 90s – taking off in a direction clearly inspired by the excellent Clifford Jordan/Cedar Walton work of years before, but with an easy going sound all their own! Titles include "Afternoon In Africa", "After All This Time", "Leapin & Weepin", "Song For Me", and "Spirit Willie". CD

A strong double dose live set for Smoke Sessions led by guitarist Peter Bernstein – in a quartet setting with Christian McBride on bass, Brad Mehldau on piano and Gregory Hutchinson on drums – reconvening the the line-up that recorded Bernstein's Signs album on Criss Cross back in the mid 90s! It's wonderful for several reasons – for one, in getting these amazing, incredibly busy players back together after all these years – and for fleshing out the material so greatly in a live setting! The Signs tunes really breathe here, with lots of air and space for each player to shine, most tracks running nice on long on the 2CD set. They're all Bernstein originals save for 3 Thelonious Monk numbers, and the titles include "Blues For Bulgaria", "Hidden Pockets", "Dragonfly", "Jive Coffee", "Pannonica", "Useless Metaphor", "Let Loose", "All Too Real", "Resplendor", "Crepuscule With Nellie/We See" and "Cupcake". CD

Produced by Meshell Ndegeocello, with Christian McBride on bass and Sean Jones on flugelhorn. CD

Don Braden on tenor sax, Tom Harrell on trumpet and flugelhorn, Steve Turre on trombone, Benny Green on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. CD

With Gerald Clayton on piano and Rhodes, Antonio Hart on flute, and Christian McBride on bass – plus special guests Clark Terry on trumpet, Lizz Wright on vocals, and Herbie Hancock as the "voice of Duke Ellington"! CD

Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. Tracks include "Blues For Nita", "Elegie", "Brazilian Flower", and "Tenderly". CD

Featuring Christian McBride on bass. CD

Guitarist George Freeman has given his music to the world for many decades – a fantastic live player who still makes magic on the Chicago scene, and a recording artist who's gotten the chance to cut plenty of records over the years, but rarely in a top-shelf setting like this! The lineup is an all-star one – with Joey DeFrancesco on organ, Christian McBride on bass, and either Carl Allen or Lewis Nash on drums – great players, but who also have the maturity to really give George the space to open up and do his thing – especially important now that, in his later years, Freeman is less of a sonic monster than he was in the 70s, yet maybe even more of a sensitive soloist overall. Titles include a remake of his classic "Lowe Groovin" – plus "Mr D", "Up & Down", "The Good Life", and "Sister Tankersley". CD

Bob James on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. CD

Beautifully soulful work from drummer Victor Lewis – and a record that introduced the world to the tremendous tenor talents of Seamus Blake! The set's got a relaxed, flowing vibe that reminds us a lot of some of Lewis' collaborations with Bobby Watson – although Blake's tenor tone gives the record a deeper twist overall – set up beautifully alongside piano from Eduardo Simon and bass from Christian McBride, and also featuring a bit of trumpet and flugelhorn from Eddie Henderson – although honestly, Blake's the real standout horn talent on this date. Lewis wrote most of the tunes himself – somewhat poetic numbers, but with a lot of soul and swing – and titles include "The Loss Of A Moment", "Know It Today Know It Tomorrow", "Between Two Worlds", "The Truce", and "If You Only Knew Me". CD

Abbey Lincoln backed by Rodney Kendrick on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums – plus special guests Kenny Barron, Pat Metheny, Christian McBride and Roy Hargrove! CD

Pat Metheny on guitar, Christian McBride on bass, and Antonio Sanchez on drums. CD

Joshua Redman on saxophone, Christian McBride, Larry Grenadier and Reuben Rogers on bass, and Ali Jackson, Brian Blade, and Eric Harland on drums. CD

A real breakout set from the young Joshua Redman – the kind of record that made some mighty big ripples in the jazz world at the time – and which ended up in more record collections than we can count – and for good reason, too! The group's a rock-solid quartet – with Redman on tenor, Brad Mehldau on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Brian Blade on drums – and titles include "Sweet Sorrow", "Chill", "Rejoice", "Faith", "Alone In The Morning", "Mischief", "Dialogue", "The Oneness Of Two (In Three)", "Past In The Present", "Obsession", and "Headin' Home". CD

A great set of Sonny Rollins Road Show material – recorded in Japan and NYC in the fall of 2010 – the latter from the Sonny Rollins @80 Concert at The Beacon Theatre! The set is bookended by the Japanese recordings – a nearly 15 minute "They Say It's Wonderful" live in Sapporo with Rollins backed by Russell Malone, Bob Cranshaw, Kobie Watkins and Sammy Figueroa. "St Thomas" features that line up in Tokyo a week later. The Beacon Theatre players include Ornette Coleman on "In A Sentimental Mood", Christian McBride on "Sonnymoon For Two and Roy Hargrove on "I Can't Get Started". CD

Underground grooving from trumpeter Wallace Roney – one of the excellent albums he recorded for the Muse label in the 90s – a wonderfully well-rounded set that's a tremendous tribute to his tone! The group here is every bit as great as Wallace's work in the frontline – Ravi Coltrane on tenor, Geri Allen on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – an especially sympathetic rhythm section who bring out some nice warmer touches to offset Roney's occasionally bold tones on trumpet. Tracks are strongly in a traditional soulbop mode – and titles include "Smooch", "Whims Of Chambers", "Lost", "Bemsha Swing", and "Solar". CD

With Chris Potter on tenor and soprano sax, Christian McBride on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums! CD

With Kenny Garrett on alto sax, Brad Mehldau on piano, Christian McBride on bass & Billy Higgins on drums. CD

Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Bill Charlap on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums – plus a large brass section arranged by Bob Belden. CD

Features tenor Don Braden working in a few different quartet and trio formations – musicians include Darrell Grant on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Cecil Brooks III on drums. CD

Guitarist George Freeman has given his music to the world for many decades – a fantastic live player who still makes magic on the Chicago scene, and a recording artist who's gotten the chance to cut plenty of records over the years, but rarely in a top-shelf setting like this! The lineup is an all-star one – with Joey DeFrancesco on organ, Christian McBride on bass, and either Carl Allen or Lewis Nash on drums – great players, but who also have the maturity to really give George the space to open up and do his thing – especially important now that, in his later years, Freeman is less of a sonic monster than he was in the 70s, yet maybe even more of a sensitive soloist overall. Titles include a remake of his classic "Lowe Groovin" – plus "Mr D", "Up & Down", "The Good Life", and "Sister Tankersley". CD

Javon Jackson and Billy Pierce on tenor saxophone, Kirk Lightsey on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. CD

A bright, positive set from pianist Harold Mabern – one that's overflowing with soul and spirit – and a perfect example of his strengths during the 90s stretch when his career really took off again! The trio's got a well-balanced approach to rhythm – bold basslines from Christian McBride, whose youthful tones seem to warm up Mabern's music more than ever – and tight drums from Jack DeJohnette, who knows nicely that less is more – and never tries to overwhelm the interplay between Harold and Christian! Titles include "Big Time Cooper", "Moment's Notice", "Look On The Bright Side", "Our Waltz", and "Too Late Fall Back Baby" – a number you might remember from Mabern's Strata East years, sounding mighty nice here, too! CD

Flip was one of the earliest stars on the Verve/Clef/Norgran labels – a true original, with a hard swinging tenor sound that really found its place with producer Norman Granz. The pair drifted apart as the 50s wore on, but Flip's returned to Verve for this recent session – a pretty tasty outing with a traditional feel, backed by great younger players like James Carter, Benny Green, Christian McBride, and Kenny Washington. The feel of the set recalls the best relaxed swing sessions of mid 50s Verve – and Phillips' tone on the tenor is as right on the money as ever! Titles include "Where Or When", "The Mark Of Zorro", "Grand Rose", "Susan's Dream", "Flip The Whip", and "Swing Is The Thing". CD

With Buster Williams, Christian McBride, Ira Coleman, Peter Washington, Ron Carter, Scott Colley, Al Foster, Billy Drummond, Jack DeJohnette, Lewis Nash, Don Alias, Steve Wilson, Wayne Shorter, Chris Potter, Branford Marsalis, Chris Potter, Joe Henderson, and Walt Weiskopf. CD

Lalo Schifrin conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – with Christian McBride on bass, James Morrison on trumpet, and Gordon Rytmeister on drums. CD