So this morning I decided to listen to some jazz, while I was doing some things around the house. The album I chose was For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver from the Christian McBride Big Band. I generally don’t listen to big band albums. However, because this album was obviously dedicated to Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, and Oliver Nelson listening to it was a no brainer. The Dynamic Duo and The Further Adventures of Jimmy And Wes are two of my favorite albums.
About For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver is a mix of big band and quartet titles. For the album McBride recruited guitarist Mark Whitfield to play the part of Wes Montgomery and organist Joey DeFrancesco to take on the role of Smith.
I have heard Mark Whitfield play Wes songs before and he is fantastic.and who better than DeFrancesco to play the part of Jimmy Smith.
The Big Band is rounded out by a group of top New York jazz all stars, including saxophonists Steve Wilson and Ron Blake, trumpeters Freddie Hendrix and Brandon Lee, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist Xavier Davis, drummer Quincy Phillips, and others.
The Tracks on For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver
“Night Train” from The Dynamic Duo. kicks off the album. It’s followed by “Road Song” and if I didn’t know it was Mark Whitfield, I’d swear to you, I was listening to Wes!
After a cover of Freddie Hubbard’ “Up Jumped Spring” where DeFrancesco’s B-3 replaces Freddie’s trumpet.
It’s back to Jimmy and Wes for a upbeat version of Miles Davis’ “Milestones,” which features Nelson’s original arrangement. I went back and listened to the Jimmy and Wes version and they both sound the way I remember them!!
The Quartet Shines on the Ballads
Next comes a cover of Ray Noble’s classic “The Very Thought of You” I checked and Mark Whitfield recorded this song and it appears on his album The Marksman sans the organ. Both ways Whitfield’s guitar is great.
For this ballad as well as other’s the quartet of Mark Whitfield on guitar, Joey DeFrancesco organ, Christian McBride, and Quincy Phillips on drums take center stage, just like the Jimmy and Wes albums
The Oliver Nelson big band arrangement of the classic “Down by the Riverside” follows and once again McBride’s Big Band is impeccable.
Another ballad Billy Eckstein’s “I Want to Talk About You”. And once again the quartet takes center stage.
“Don Is” Everyone Takes the Lead
“Don Is” is a Joey DeFrancesco song that appears on Bobby Hutcherson’s Album “Enjoy the View”. On this album the lead is Joey’s organ instead of Bobby’s vibes both ways it a good song. All four of the band members get to strut their stuff on this track!
The album closes with Mark Whitfield’s “Medgar Evans Blues” and Christian McBride and Joey DeFrancesco’s “Pie Blues” both tracks get the Oliver Nelson arrangement treatment.
Comments from Others
I read this about the album at AllMusic….
For Jimmy, Wes, and Oliver is an ebullient album that evokes the earthy, artful spirit of the trio who inspired it.
While McBride writes the following…..
…. “Joey [DeFrancesco] is, without question, my oldest friend in music… We met in middle school playing in the Settlement Music School Jazz Ensemble in Philadelphia. We’ve recorded a few things here and there over the years, but we’ve never recorded an entire album together until now. It seemed logical to salute the two albums that we listened to quite a bit as kids.”
My Final Thank You
As someone who has listened to Jimmy, Wes and Oliver for the last fifty years. Thanks Christian McBride Band and your big band for creating an album that Jimmy Wes and Oliver would be proud of! So Everyone Check it Out!!
So let’s close this post with “Night Train” the opening track of For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver.
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Christian McBride Big Band
Christian McBride
Joey DeFrancesco
Mark Whitfield
Wes Montgomery
Jimmy Smith
Oliver Nelson
AllMusic
