Parker's Mood

1	Klactoveedsedsteen / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 4:38
2	Parker's Mood / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 4:18
3	Marmaduke / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 3:21
4	Steeplechase / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 4:21
5	Laura / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 5:07
6	Dexterity / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 4:58
7	Yardbird Suite / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 3:52
8	Red Cross / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 2:07
9	Repetition / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 6:38
10	Laird Baird / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 4:05
11	Dewey Square 2:35
12	Cardboard / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 3:26
13	April in Paris / Stephen Scott 3:07
14	Chasin' the Bird / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 2:57
15	Bongo Beep / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 3:07
16	Star Eyes / Roy Hargrove/Christian McBride/Stephen Scott Trio 5:42

Barnes & Noble

Flat-out virtuosity is what you hear when Christian McBride is at the bass. This trio date with trumpeter Roy Hargrove and pianist Stephen Scott leaves room for each to solo, and on Bird's "Red Cross" McBride is both glib and resolute, offering perfect intonation and a buoyant sense of rhythm. Without dismissing the study that went into developing such technique, the bassist's ultimate gift is the natural grace of his lines. He capably drives "Marmaduke" and shows amazing poise on "Dexterity." Together, all three musicians give these once tensile tunes an aura of luxuriousness -- as if to say bop had its plush side. And because the setting is intimate, the listener can easily hear the richness of McBride's work. In an offhand demonstration of mastery, the pas de deux by the bassist and trumpeter on "Dolphin Dance" reminds that nobody with McBride on their side is going swingless. Jim Macnie

All Music Guide

On this unusual album, Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn), Christian McBride (bass) and Stephen Scott (piano) pay homage to the father of bebop with a generous set of (mostly) Charlie Parker compositions performed in trio, duet and solo arrangements. These three musicians, all of whom are part of the back-to-bop youth movement and all of whom have made names for themselves as session players and fledgling bandleaders, approach the tunes with a combination of reverence and iconoclastic innovation -- how often do you think you'll hear "Red Cross" as a bass solo or "Chasin' the Bird" as a trumpet/bass duet? This approach has its limitations, of course; as revealing as Hargrove's solo take on "Dewey Square" is, sometimes the weight of rhythmic responsibility weighs too heavily on McBride's shoulders during the trio numbers, and the groove suffers. Unless you're listening on headphones or in a quiet room with very good speakers, the rhythmic thread of the bassline can easily get lost in the mix, leaving Scott's syncopated comping sounding disjointed. But it doesn't happen very often, and the overall effect of this album is one of new light being shed on an aging but beautiful art collection. Those who know these tunes already will enjoy the album most. Those who don't will find they have much to learn, and should be excited at the prospect. Rick Anderson