A little slice of perfection heralding the release in a few months from the Christian McBride Big Band album For Jimmy, Wes And Oliver, a homage to Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery and Oliver Nelson. This outrider lead off track isn't a big band track however and neither is it a tribute to any of the legends in the title. However it certainly represents the great bassist McBride in seriously sparkling feelgood form alongside Philly pal Joey DeFrancesco on organ, Mark Whitfield on guitar and Quincy Phillips on drums paying tribute to McBride's fellow bassist, the boss of Blue Note records, Don Was. Textbook stuff: check Christian's earthy solo early on as the whole sound becomes batcrazy infectious. Joey D's solo is quite the vaccine further on and it's lift-off from there on. Don Was must be a very happy man getting this jazz gift and a half with his name written all over it in the present tense! To be released by Mack Avenue
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