Christian McBride
Acoustic Bass Solo on
I'll Be Seeing You

About

Closing out the solo section, this acoustic bass improvisation spans one chorus of the 32-bar form at a medium-up swing tempo of 154 BPM. Without drums or piano to provide harmonic and rhythmic cushioning, Smith and McBride must generate all the forward motion and harmonic richness themselves. This is the most concise solo on the recording, making every phrase count within a compact space. The 32-bar form provides a defined harmonic landscape for the improvisation. Coming after Walter Smith III's tenor sax solo, this is the final improvisation before the ensemble returns to the head.

Christian McBride was 45 to 46 years old at the time.