** 1/2 CHRISTIAN McBRIDE”A Family Affair”VerveWhat in...

** 1/2 CHRISTIAN McBRIDE

“A Family Affair”

Verve

What in the world is Christian McBride doing with this album? Recognized, almost universally, as one of the finest young bassists to come down the pike in years, what has led him to release an album filled with vocals, rhythm & blues covers and jazz funk?

A desire, apparently, to “show the world that all this music can work together, just like a family.”

Admirable as the desire may seem, the results--especially in tunes such as Sly Stone’s title track, Stevie Wonder’s “Summer Soft” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “I’ll Write a Song for You”--come across with the feeling of a family that doesn’t spend much time together. McBride’s talent on both acoustic and electric instruments is undeniable, and there is some strong solo work from tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield.

But listeners expecting to hear a McBride performance comparable to his first two solo albums or his dozens of appearances with the likes of Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall and others are advised to look elsewhere.