Gettin' to It
| Gettin' to It | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | January 1995 | |||
| Recorded | August 30, 31 and September 1, 1994 | |||
| Studio | Clinton Recording Studios, New York City. | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 55:34 | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Producer | Richard Seidel,Don Sickler | |||
| Christian McBridechronology | ||||
| ||||
Gettin' to Itis the debut studio album of American jazz bassistChristian McBride.[1]The album was released in 1995 byVerve.
Background
[edit]The album was produced by Richard Seidel andDon Sickler,and released byVerve Recordsin January 1995. Although this was McBride's first solo album, he had previously featured on records as a sidesman forGary Bartzon the albumShadows,Benny GreenonGreens,Roy HargroveonPublic Eye,Joe HendersononLush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn,Freddie HubbardonLive at Fat Tuesday's,Joe LovanoonTenor Legacy,Harold MabernonLookin' on the Bright Side,andJoshua RedmanonJoshua Redman.Redman and Hargrove appear onGettin' to Itas instrumentalists. The record features 10 tracks and a total running time of 55 minutes and 34 seconds.
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[3] |
| Tom Hull | A−[4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [5] |
Howard Reich ofChicago Tribunenoted "That Christian McBride is one of the most appealing and accomplished young bass players to come along in years must be obvious to anyone who has heard him accompany Roy Hargrove, Freddie Hubbard and other stars. Now McBride is stepping into the spotlight with his first recording as leader. Though the music isn't particularly adventurous, it celebrates jazz tradition with a technical brilliance, a rhythmic vigor and a sonic warmth that are uniquely McBride's."[6]Jeff Levenson ofBillboardcommented "Gettin' To Itis not a typical bass player's album. McBride is not showcased in a flamboyant manner, nor is he placed front and center, overshadowing his bandmates. His presence and authority, however, are unmistakable, from the radio-friendly funk of the title track to his solo tour de force on "Night Train,' to the uplifting treatment of" Splanky, "on which McBride proves himself the descendant of trio mates and spiritual godfathersMilt Hinton,age 84, andRay Brown,68 ".[7]Tony Scherman ofEntertainment Weeklyadded "Christian McBride has a big, fat tone and limitless dexterity, and the music boils (especially a choice piece of funk called” In a Hurry” ), but everything feels a little antiseptic — this isn’t, after all, a working band, just a one-shot convocation of hired guns ".[3]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In a Hurry" | McBride | 4:35 |
| 2. | "The Shade of the Cedar Tree" | McBride | 7:39 |
| 3. | "Too Close for Comfort" | Jerry Bock,George David Weiss,Larry Holofcener | 5:50 |
| 4. | "Sitting on a Cloud" | McBride | 5:46 |
| 5. | "Splanky" | Neal Hefti | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Gettin' to It" | McBride | 5:30 |
| 7. | "Stars Fell on Alabama" | Frank Perkins,Mitchell Parish | 5:23 |
| 8. | "Black Moon" | McBride | 5:18 |
| 9. | "King Freddie of Hubbard" | McBride | 7:39 |
| 10. | "Night Train" | Jimmy Forrest,Lewis Simpkins,Oscar Washington | 3:38 |
| Total length: | 55:34 | ||
Personnel
[edit]Band
- Christian McBride – bass
- Roy Hargrove– trumpet, flugelhorn
- Joshua Redman– tenor saxophone
- Steve Turre– trombone
- Cyrus Chestnut– piano
- Lewis Nash– drums
- Ray Brown&Milt Hinton– bass on "Splanky"
Production
- Richard Seidel & Don Sickler – production
- Jim Anderson– recording
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Jazz Albums (Billboard)[8] | 13 |
References
[edit]- ^Garelick, Jon (1996)."Second coming: Christian McBride makes his sophomore statement".Boston Phoenix.bostonphoenix.Retrieved28 February2017.
- ^Ginell, Richard S."Christian McBride: Gettin' to It".AllMusic.allmusic.Retrieved28 February2017.
- ^abScherman, Tony (January 20, 1995)."Gettin' To It".Entertainment Weekly.ew.Retrieved29 May2018.
- ^"Tom Hull: Grade List: Christian McBride".Tom Hull.Retrieved10 July2020.
- ^Cook, Richard;Morton, Brian(2008).The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings(9th ed.).Penguin.p. 965.ISBN978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^Reich, Howard (February 12, 1995)."Christian McBride: Gettin' to It (Verve). That..."Chicago Tribune.Retrieved6 March2017.
- ^Levenson, Jeff (7 January 1995)."McBride Gets to It With a Verve Debut".Billboard:3, 108.Retrieved2 November2018.
- ^"CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: CHART HISTORY".Billboard.billboard.Retrieved18 May2019.[dead link]