Cover of the album being discussed
The album For Jimmy, Wes, and Oliver, performed by the Christian McBride Big Band, is not a new release; but, since McBride will be visiting SFJAZZ this weekend, this seemed like a good time to write about this tribute album. For those unfamiliar with jazz history, the album is a tribute to three of the leading figures of jazz from the last century, organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Wes Montgomery, and bandleader Oliver Nelson. While most of the ten tracks on the album are, indeed, “big band” performances, four of them are quartets with McBride on bass joined by organist Joey DeFrancesco, Mark Whitfield on guitar, and drummer Quincy Phillips.
McBride’s intention was to provide new interpretations of tracks that had been recorded by Montgomery and Smith on the albums The Dynamic Duo and Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes. That tribute is most evident on the quartet tracks, but there is more than enough to engage the attentive listener in the full-ensemble performances. Personally, I was particularly drawn to Whitfield’s guitar improvisations; but that may just have reflected my long-standing interest in my Montgomery albums.
I must confess that I tend to approach tribute albums with varying degrees of skepticism. Too many of the recent performances I have encountered (in concert as well as on recordings) leave me “longing for the good old days.” While I know that “the past has passed,” I still have a generous number of recordings to revive my memories. Nevertheless, I found that I could enjoy McBride’s tribute as a sincere one. To reflect on the album’s title, I would say that DeFrancesco, Whitfield, and McBride gave more than honorable treatment to Smith, Montgomery, and Nelson.
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