Over het album

For a man that's known to lead many groups, Conversations with Christian focused on duets for this stunning 2011 release. McBride first considered a proposal to do a duet project during the latter '90s. "At the time," he recalls, "I didn't feel I was ready, or that it was the project I wanted to do. I had other things in mind. But as time progressed, I got to do other projects—putting together the Christian McBride Big Band and experimenting with a lot of different sounds and layers—and my focus returned to the duets idea."

The iconic bassist placed himself in the forefront of the flow on a duet apiece with 13 of his closest musical friends and cohorts—singers Angélique Kidjo, Sting and Dee Dee Bridgewater; pianists George Duke, Eddie Palmieri and Chick Corea, as well as Dr. Billy Taylor and Hank Jones; violinist Regina Carter; trumpeter Roy Hargrove; guitarist Russell Malone; tenor saxophonist Ron Blake; and actress Gina Gershon. In the process, McBride unleashed the full measure of his already legendary skills, crafting as complete a portrait of his diverse interests—different vibrations of the blues and African-American church experience, bebop, the American Songbook, the Latin Tinge, the Freedom Principle, even comedy—as he has ever presented.