McBride Set Not About Pop but Prowess

Christian McBride, by almost any estimation the most gifted new jazz bassist to appear in years, is having a flirtation with pop music. Nothing unusual about that, of course, since the dividing line between jazz and pop has been somewhat amorphous since the years when Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and dozens of others moved freely through both genres.

McBride, following a similar path in his new Verve album “Family Affair,” has signaled his fascination with the music of Stevie Wonder, Sylvester Stewart, Thom Bell and others. But on Tuesday at Catalina Bar & Grill, in the opening set of a run that continues through Sunday, he indicated--more so than on the album--a desire to maintain powerful jazz reference points within his quartet’s funk-driven interpretations.

On Stewart’s “Family Affair,” for example, McBride played his acoustic bass, using the repetitive melody to establish a mantra-like setting for a high-flying solo from tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield. And, even when he switched to electric bass guitar, snapping rhythmic accents crisp enough to drive the most overheated rap rhythms, he still maintained the lift, the urgency and the spirit of jazz.

In fact, what emerged over the course of the evening was a presentation that had less to do with pop than it did with displaying McBride’s eclectic virtuosity. His electric bass solos used the instrument’s focused sound to display his stunning quickness as an improviser, and his acoustic playing was solid, even during the relatively low-intensity start of the set. More unexpectedly, his arco playing, using a bow on Wayne Shorter’s ballad “Miyako,” was spun out with a delicate sound and flowing articulateness that transformed his large instrument into the aural image of a cello.

McBride was immensely aided by his talented associates. Warfield, starting slowly, finally delivered one or two solos so balanced with passion and musical intelligence that they had the near-capacity crowd cheering enthusiastically. Drummer Greg Hutchinson contributed a particularly thoughtful solo toward the close of the set, and newcomer Sharrick Mitchell on piano added attractive, unexpectedly plangent harmonies to virtually everything he touched.

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* The Christian McBride Quartet, at Catalina Bar & Grill through Sunday, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., (213) 466-2210. $17 cover tonight and Saturday, $15 cover Sunday, with two-drink minimum.