Christian McBride Big Band, Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 Review

Swing, Soul, and Renewal: McBride’s Big Band Without Further Ado

by Ferell Aubre

Christian McBride’s big band has always been a proving ground for the argument that the large ensemble remains a vital laboratory in contemporary jazz. On Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 (Mack Avenue, August 2025), McBride extends that proof with an album that balances reverence for lineage with a forward-looking sense of orchestration, groove, and feature writing. Eight tracks, seven guest vocalists, and a rotating palette of colors make the record a big band project that feels alive.

The opener, “Murder by Numbers,” begins the set with Sting and Andy Summers revisiting their Police-era staple. McBride’s arrangement builds a groove-first foundation, with his bass tone round and omnipresent while never being overbearing. Summers’ chorus-saturated guitar sits easily against the band’s robust underlay, and a trumpet solo, processed with effects, blurs the boundary between jazz and rock rhetoric. Ensemble precision frames the vocal delivery as Sting’s lower, more weathered register reads as direct and emotive. His performance shows how living with a song for years allows it to be shaped for maximum impact. Percussionist Pedrito Martinez adds extra color to the groove, giving the track a sly global accent.

“Back in Love Again” (with Jeffrey Osborne) finds the band mining James Brown-style funk and Motown-era soul. The rhythm section locks a greasy pocket, horns punch in syncopated accents, and backing vocals add a soulful gospel tinge. The closing cadence swells into three-part counterpoint between male and female backgrounds (including the band) and Osborne, turning the big band itself into a gospel choir. It’s a vivid demonstration of how a large ensemble can channel R&B energy without losing jazz articulation.

On “Old Folks,” Samara Joy continues her reputation as a generational voice. The band opens with a grand introduction, then recedes to let her tone, diction, and subtle vibrato shape the lyrics. Warren Wolf’s vibraphone and Xavier Davis’ piano exchange colors beneath her phrases, while Basie-like ensemble articulations shade the climax in a soulful blues groove. Todd Bashore’s flute, Carl Maraghi’s bass clarinet, and McBride provide a glowing cushion under her final sustained note. Ron Blake’s tenor saxophone solo midway through is lyrical and harmonically grounded, weaving seamlessly into the band’s textures. McBride’s arrangement is a study in orchestration serving the vocalist.

“Moanin'” (with José James) is both homage and renewal. The rhythm section channels the muscular drive of the hard-bop idiom, McBride walking a phat line under the A sections and opening into full propulsion on the bridge. James leans into a jazz-blues vocal attack, his phrasing earthy and soulful. A warm, expressive trombone solo by Steve Davis segues into a bold, fiery trumpet solo by Freddie Hendrix, all supported by voicings that echo the vocabulary of late-’50s small groups blown up to big-band scale. Guitar comping from Rodney Jones adds a touch of modern color, but the essential energy is pure Messengers’ spirit

Cécile McLorin Salvant turns “All Through the Night” into a study in swing vitality. Her lines are rhythmically detailed and playful, her embellishments light-footed and inventive. The big band swings at an up-tempo clip, and the rhythm section delivers the swing as crisp hits interlock with McClenty Hunter Jr.’s drum solo full of fluid setups. McBride steps forward on arco bass with lyrical grace for his solo, followed by a baritone sax solo from Carl Maraghi that outlines the changes with rhythmic clarity. The effect is jubilant swing presented in multiple layers.

Dianne Reeves’ feature, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” recasts a familiar pop standard through the lens of modal post-bop. Reeves floats across the harmonic field, her accented landings aligned to the rhythmic motifs of the arrangement. Flutes bring an airy shimmer, while a soprano saxophone solo by Steve Wilson provides luminous, motif-driven development. The result is a fluid arrangement where each section contributes without overshadowing the whole, a modern jazz meditation disguised as a pop cover.

Antoinette Henry lights up “Come Rain or Come Shine” with playful phrasing and blue-note inflections. The rhythm section drives a medium swing that recalls hard-bop influence, while the voicings lean toward the conversational textures associated with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis lineage. An alto saxophone solo from Todd Bashore extends the idiom with clarity and verve. Henry’s vocal variations stretch the melody with his swing, making the tune feel grounded in and refreshingly personal.

The closer, “Op. 49 – Cold Chicken Suite, 3rd Movement,” serves as the album’s capstone. Guitar and sax state the theme, restated with increasing orchestral layering: muted trumpets, trombone hits, reeds, and clarinets in motion. A saxophone solo from Dan Pratt speaks fluently in the hard-bop idiom, graceful yet powerful. The finale brings McBride and the band into full swing, an emphatic reminder of what this big band does best: swing.

Across these eight tracks, McBride frames the Christian McBride Big Band as a vehicle for honoring a different facet of the jazz and popular tradition. The influences range from rock crossover, Motown funk, Basie swing, hard bop, and post-bop modalism. Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 is a document of how to keep the big band form alive through careful writing, inspired guest features, ensemble discipline, and a rhythm section that grooves with authority.