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.[4] The album peaked at #23 in the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[5]

Number Two Express
Studio album by
Released15 April 1996
Recorded16–17 November 1995
StudioClinton Recording Studios, NYC
GenreJazz
Length63:52
LabelVerve Records
ProducerRichard Seidel, Don Sickler
Christian McBride chronology
Gettin' to It
(1995)
Number Two Express
(1996)
A Family Affair
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Tom HullB+[3]
Los Angeles Times[2]

Reception

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Scott Yanow of AllMusic commented: "Continually interesting music which contains plenty of variety".[1] Bill Kohlhaase, of the Los Angeles Times, wrote: "Bass sensation Christian McBride has followed his well-received debut album, 'Gettin' to It,' with a surprisingly modern album that shows him moving ahead in taste and ambition. While the first album focused on soulful sounds and its leader's gutbucket pluck, the new disc plunges hard ahead with smarts, sizzle and fine interplay between celebrity players including pianists Chick Corea and Kenny Barron, saxophonists Gary Bartz and Kenny Garrett, vibist Steve Nelson and drummer Jack DeJohnette (playing with Corea for the first time since their Miles Davis days). Not only has McBride's material become more sophisticated, his improvisations have also progressed a notch. They're not so reliant on riffs and repetition."[2]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Whirling Dervish"McBride8:22
2."Youthful Bliss"McBride7:52
3."Tones for Joan's Bones"Chick Corea6:43
4."EGAD"McBride6:66
5."Miyako"Wayne Shorter5:23
6."Divergence"McBride9:21
7."Jayne"Ornette Coleman5:05
8."Morning Story"McBride4:51
9."Grove"McBride6:11
10."Little Sunflower"Freddie Hubbard3:58
Total length:63:52

Personnel

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Musicians

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Production

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  • Richard Seidel & Don Sickler – Production
  • Jim Anderson – Recording

Chart performance

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Chart (1996) Peak
position
US Jazz Albums (Billboard)[6] 23

References

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  1. ^ a b Yanow, Scott. "Christian McBride: Number Two Express". AllMusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b KOHLHAASE, BILL (April 6, 1996). "McBride Rides a Smart, Sizzling 'Express' : CHRISTIAN McBRIDE: "Number Two Express" Verve (***)". The Los Angeles Times. latimes.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Christian McBride". Tom Hull. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  4. ^ Dicaire, David (2006). Jazz Musicians, 1945 to the Present. McFarland. p. 263. ISBN 978-0-7864-2097-1. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Number Two Express". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2018.[dead link]
  6. ^ "CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: CHART HISTORY". Billboard. billboard.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.[dead link]
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