Gettin' to It

Last updated
Gettin' to It
Gettin' to It - album cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 1995
RecordedAugust 30, 31 and September 1, 1994
StudioClinton Recording Studios, New York City.
Genre Jazz
Length55:34
Label Verve
Producer Richard Seidel, Don Sickler
Christian McBride chronology
Gettin' to It
(1995)
Number Two Express
(1996)

Gettin' to It is the debut studio album of American jazz bassist Christian McBride. [1] The album was released in 1995 by Verve.

Contents

Background

The album was produced by Richard Seidel and Don Sickler, and released by Verve Records in January 1995. Although this was McBride's first solo album, he had previously featured on records as a sidesman for Gary Bartz on the album Shadows , Benny Green on Greens, Roy Hargrove on Public Eye, Joe Henderson on Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn , Freddie Hubbard on Live at Fat Tuesday's , Joe Lovano on Tenor Legacy , Harold Mabern on Lookin' on the Bright Side , and Joshua Redman on Joshua Redman. Redman and Hargrove appear on Gettin' to It as instrumentalists. The record features 10 tracks and a total running time of 55 minutes and 34 seconds.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Entertainment Weekly B [3]
Tom Hull A− [4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Howard Reich of Chicago Tribune noted "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 of Billboard commented "Gettin' To It is 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 godfathers Milt Hinton, age 84, and Ray Brown, 68". [7] Tony Scherman of Entertainment Weekly added "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

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."In a Hurry"McBride4:35
2."The Shade of the Cedar Tree"McBride7:39
3."Too Close for Comfort" Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, Larry Holofcener 5:50
4."Sitting on a Cloud"McBride5:46
5."Splanky" Neal Hefti 4:15
6."Gettin' to It"McBride5:30
7."Stars Fell on Alabama" Frank Perkins, Mitchell Parish 5:23
8."Black Moon"McBride5:18
9."King Freddie of Hubbard"McBride7:39
10."Night Train" Jimmy Forrest, Lewis Simpkins, Oscar Washington 3:38
Total length:55:34

Personnel

Band

Production

Chart performance

Chart (1995)Peak
position
US Jazz Albums (Billboard) [8] 13

Related Research Articles

Carl Allen is an American jazz drummer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Redman</span> American jazz saxophonist and composer (born 1969)

Joshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the son of jazz saxophonist Dewey Redman (1931–2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Garrett</span> American jazz musician and composer

Kenny Garrett is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and soprano saxophone and flute. Since 1985, he has pursued a solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Hargrove</span> American jazz trumpeter (1969–2018)

Roy Anthony Hargrove was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles of jazz in 1998 and 2002. Hargrove primarily played in the hard bop style for the majority of his albums, but also had a penchant for genre-crossing exploration and collaboration with a variety of hip hop, soul, R&B and alternative rock artists. As Hargrove told one reporter, "I've been around all kinds of musicians, and if a cat can play, a cat can play. If it's gospel, funk, R&B, jazz or hip-hop, if it's something that gets in your ear and it's good, that's what matters."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian McBride</span> American jazz bassist, composer, and arranger

Christian McBride is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey Jazz Festival</span> Annual music festival in California since 1958

The Monterey Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Monterey, California, United States. It debuted on October 3, 1958, championed by Dave Brubeck and co-founded by jazz and popular music critic Ralph J. Gleason and jazz disc jockey Jimmy Lyons.

<i>Paytons Place</i> 1998 studio album by Nicholas Payton

Payton's Place is an album by the jazz trumpet player Nicholas Payton, released in 1998.

<i>With the Tenors of Our Time</i> 1994 studio album by Roy Hargrove

With the Tenors of Our Time is an album by Roy Hargrove.

<i>A Family Affair</i> (Christian McBride album) 1998 studio album by Christian McBride

A Family Affair is an album by Christian McBride. It was recorded in California and released in 1998 by Verve.

<i>MoodSwing</i> (Joshua Redman album) 1994 studio album by Joshua Redman Quartet

MoodSwing is a 1994 studio album by American jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman. All compositions on this album are originals written by Redman. The album was re-released on vinyl in 2009. Redman's bandmates here are Brad Mehldau on piano, Christian McBride on acoustic bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The next album by this quartet, RoundAgain, was released 26 years later in July 2020.

<i>Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn</i> 1992 studio album by Joe Henderson

Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn is an album by the jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson. Composed of songs written by Billy Strayhorn, the album was a critical and commercial success, leading to the first of three Grammy Awards Henderson would receive while under contract with Verve Records. The album had sold nearly 90,000 copies at the time of Henderson's death in 2001 and has been re-released by Verve, Polygram, and in hybrid SACD format by Universal. Musicians on the album are trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, pianist Stephen Scott, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Gregory Hutchinson.

<i>The Quintessence</i> 1962 studio album by Quincy Jones

The Quintessence is an album by Quincy Jones and his orchestra. It was released in 1962 and was his only album for Impulse! One critic called it "the sound of the modern, progressive big band at its pinnacle."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reuben Rogers</span> Jazz bassist from the Virgin Islands

Reuben Renwick Rogers is a jazz bassist from the Virgin Islands.

<i>Big Band</i> (Joe Henderson album) 1997 studio album by Joe Henderson

Big Band is a 1997 album by the jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson, the fourth of the five albums he recorded with Verve Records at the end of his career. As the title suggests, it contains arrangements for a full big band.

The Summit format is used in jazz to bring together performers on a particular musical instrument. Though these recordings often feature other musicians, the main instrument is focused upon in a celebratory way.

<i>Number Two Express</i> 1996 studio album by Christian McBride

Number Two Express is the second studio album by the American jazz bassist Christian McBride. It was recorded in 1995 and released by Verve Records the following year. The album peaked at #23 in the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

Young Lions & Old Tigers is a 1995 studio album by American jazz pianist Dave Brubeck.

<i>Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams</i> 1996 studio album by Jimmy Smith

Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams is a 1996 album by the American jazz organist Jimmy Smith. The album was Smith's penultimate album, and his last recording for five years.

<i>Damn!</i> (Jimmy Smith album) 1995 studio album by Jimmy Smith

Damn! is a 1996 album by the American jazz organist Jimmy Smith. The album was Smith's first album for Verve Records for over twenty years.

<i>Bringin It</i> 2017 studio album by Christian McBride Big Band

Bringin' It is a studio album by American jazz bassist Christian McBride together with his big band. The record was released on September 22, 2017, via the Mack Avenue label—both on CD and on LP. After The Good Feeling, this is his second album as a big band leader and his fourteenth overall. The album consists of 11 tracks: a mix of his own compositions and famous jazz standards, including a version of "Mr. Bojangles" featuring his wife, vocalist Melissa Walker. The album opens with the song "Gettin’ to It", which is the title of his 1994 debut album.

References

  1. Garelick, Jon (1996). "Second coming: Christian McBride makes his sophomore statement". Boston Phoenix . bostonphoenix.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  2. Ginell, Richard S. "Christian McBride: Gettin' to It". AllMusic . allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  3. 1 2 Scherman, Tony (January 20, 1995). "Gettin' To It". Entertainment Weekly . ew.com. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  4. "Tom Hull: Grade List: Christian McBride". Tom Hull . Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  5. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 965. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.
  6. Reich, Howard (February 12, 1995). "Christian McBride: Gettin' to It (Verve). That..." Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  7. Levenson, Jeff (7 January 1995). "McBride Gets to It With a Verve Debut". Billboard : 3, 108. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  8. "CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: CHART HISTORY". Billboard. billboard.com . Retrieved 18 May 2019.[ dead link ]