Sci-Fi (album)

Sci-Fi is the fourth studio album by American jazz bassist Christian McBride released in 2000 via Verve label.[5][6][7][8] Some tracks of the material are pop standards.[9]

Sci-Fi
Studio album by
Christian McBride
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2000
RecordedFebruary 10–12, 2000
StudioAvatar Studios
GenreJazz
Length71:40
LabelVerve
ProducerChristian McBride
Christian McBride chronology
A Family Affair
(1998)		 Sci-Fi
(2000)		 The Philadelphia Experiment
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian[1]
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]

Reception

John Fordham of The Guardian wrote "Sci-Fi starts unpromisingly, with a rather anonymous, swoony, mixed-tempo account of Steely Dan's 1977 hit Aja that only ignites with David Gilmore's guitar solo. Yet, as it continues, US bass star McBride's typically broad-minded set emphasises both his own playing gifts and their pulling-power with some of the biggest names in the business. McBride's clarity of sound, the bullet-like impact he imparts to every note at any speed, and the distinctive turns of his lines, make him one of the most remarkable bassists in post-bop. The impact those virtues have on other players often leave you feeling that the improvisations on his albums could just be clipped out and segued into each other, with the themes dropped on the floor".[10]

John Murph of Jazz Times stated "As the title suggests, the album has a questing quality that’s sometimes expressed in the longing melodies of Ron Blake’s tenor saxophone on “Aja,” Dianne Reeves’ celestial vocalese on “Lullaby for a Ladybug” or drummer Rodney Green’s rocketing rhythmic bursts on “Xerxes.” McBride’s robust acoustic bass alone could propel any ensemble to the stratosphere, but on Sci-Fi he adds even more ammunition to his arsenal: he plays discreet Fender Rhodes as a complement to Shedrick Mitchell’s acoustic piano. On the Wayne Shorterish title track, McBride tosses in some spacey keyboard effects, while Blake’s adventurous soprano saxophone probes right through the spacious composition, like the Enterprise warping through galactic wormholes. McBride pays tribute to two of his electric-bass heroes, Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke, with “Havana” and “Butterfly Dreams,” respectively, and gives a mighty pound to the ’70s fusion with the infectious “Via Mwandishi,” which features James Carter’s bass clarinet recalling Bennie Maupin, one of the instrument’s underrated players."[11]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Aja"Walter Becker, Donald Fagen6:46
2."Uhura's Moment Returned"McBride6:18
3."Xerxes"McBride7:56
4."Lullaby for a Ladybug"McBride7:28
5."Science Fiction"McBride6:50
6."Walking on the Moon"Sting6:43
7."Havona"Jaco Pastorius7:12
8."I'll Guess I'll Have to Forget"McBride6:10
9."Butterfly Dreams"Stanley Clarke6:43
10."Via Mwandishi"McBride8:02
11."The Sci-fi Outro"McBride1:13
Total length:71:40

Personnel

Band

  • Christian McBride – bass (upright, electric), keyboards, production
  • Ron Blake – sax (tenor, soprano)
  • Shedrick Mitchell – piano, electric piano
  • Rodney Green – drums
  • Herbie Hancock – piano (on "Xerxes" and "Lullaby for a Ladybug")
  • Dianne Reeves – vocalese (on "Lullaby for a Ladybug")
  • Toots Thielemans – harmonica
  • James Carter – bass clarinet
  • David Gilmore – guitar (acoustic, electric)

Production

  • Joe Ferla – recording, mixing

Chart performance
Chart (2000) Peak
position
US Jazz Albums (Billboard)[12] 25

References
  1. Fordham, John (8 September 2000). "Deep space". The Guardian. theguardian.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  2. Edelstein, Paula. "Christian McBride: Sci-Fi". Allmusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  3. Futterman, Steve (September 22, 2000). "Music Review: 'Sci-Fi'". Entertainment Weekly. ew.com. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Kollington - Morphine. MUZE. p. 601. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  5. Hovan, C. Andrew (November 1, 2000). "Christian McBride: Sci-Fi". All About Jazz. allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  6. Himes, Geoffrey (September 8, 2000). "CHRISTIAN McBRIDE "Sci-Fi" Verve". The Washington Post. washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  7. Murph, John (1 November 2000). "Christian McBride Band: Sci-Fi". Jazz Times. jazztimes.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  8. "Sci-Fi". Discogs. discogs.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  9. Cook, Richard and Morton, Brian (2008) The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th edition). Penguin. p. 965. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  10. Fordham, John (8 September 2000). "Deep space". The Guardian. theguardian.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  11. Murph, John (January 10, 2000). "Christian McBride Band: Sci-Fi". Jazz Times. jazztimes.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  12. "CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE: CHART HISTORY". Billboard. billboard.com. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
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