Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps

 

During the 1980s, when pop icons like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and U2 reigned supreme, many regarded The Police as the biggest band in the world. Yet after only five albums—and at the peak of their popularity—The Police disbanded and Sting began a solo career that made him a global pop star. Today, artists from Puff Daddy to Gwen Stefani credit The Police and Sting as major influences on their own work, reflecting that The Police were not only a popular, polished rock act, but a powerfully influential one as well.

In Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps, Aaron J. West explores the cultural and musical impact of Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers, and Sting. West details the distinctive hybrid character of The Police’s musical output, which would also characterize Sting’s post-Police career. Sting’s long-lived solo career embodies the power of the artful appropriation of musical styles, while capitalizing on the modern realities of pop music consumption. The Police—and Sting in particular—were pioneers in music video, modern label marketing, global activism, and the internationalization of pop music.

Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps will interest more than just fans. By placing the band within its various musical, cultural, commercial, and historic contexts, Sting and The Police: Walking in Their Footsteps will appeal to anyone interested in global popular music culture.

  

Aaron J. West (Author)  

 

Christian McBride • Conversations With Christian

 

 

Review
by Ken Dryden  
Conversations with Christian is an unusual release, as it features the veteran bassist playing duets with a number of good friends. The vocal meetings include Angélique Kidjo, Sting, and Dee Dee Bridgewater (the latter with a hilarious, funky cover of the Isley Brothers' signature song "It's Your Thing"). The pairings with musicians of McBride's generation (trumpeter Roy Hargrove, tenor saxophonist Ron Blake, and guitarist Russell Malone) all exceed expectations. There are several enjoyable duets with pianists, one featuring Latin jazz master Eddie Palmieri, a duo improvised tango by Chick Corea and the leader, plus an all too rare acoustic outing by the talented George Duke (who tears up the keyboard with his hard-charging "McDukey Blues"). But McBride's meetings with Dr. Billy Taylor (playing his beautiful "Spiritual" with some potent arco playing by the bassist) and the elegant, swinging meeting with the gifted jazz master Hank Jones ("Alone Together") remain moments to savor, as they are among the final recordings by the two jazz greats, both of whom died in 2010. The last track is a funky blues just for laughs, with actress Gina Gershon joining the bassist by playing a Jew's harp, and featuring lots of comic spoken exchanges between the two. Throughout it all, Christian McBride plays with the chameleon-like adaptability of a Milt Hinton or Ray Brown. In the two-plus decades since arriving on the jazz scene, Christian McBride has demonstrated that he is a jazz master in the making, and this is easily one of his most compelling sets.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/conversations-with-christian-mw0002231979

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Reseña
por Ken Dryden  
Conversations with Christian es un lanzamiento inusual, ya que presenta al veterano bajista tocando a dúo con una serie de buenos amigos. Los encuentros vocales incluyen a Angélique Kidjo, Sting y Dee Dee Bridgewater (esta última con una divertidísima y funky versión de la emblemática canción de los Isley Brothers "It's Your Thing"). Los dúos con músicos de la generación de McBride (el trompetista Roy Hargrove, el saxofonista tenor Ron Blake y el guitarrista Russell Malone) superan todas las expectativas. Hay varios dúos agradables con pianistas, uno con el maestro del jazz latino Eddie Palmieri, un tango improvisado a dúo por Chick Corea y el líder, además de una salida acústica demasiado rara del talentoso George Duke (que destroza el teclado con su duro "McDukey Blues"). Pero los encuentros de McBride con el Dr. Billy Taylor (tocando su hermosa "Spiritual" con un potente arco del bajista) y el elegante y oscilante encuentro con el talentoso maestro del jazz Hank Jones ("Alone Together") siguen siendo momentos para saborear, ya que se encuentran entre las últimas grabaciones de los dos grandes del jazz, ambos fallecidos en El último tema es un blues funky sólo para reírse, con la actriz Gina Gershon uniéndose al bajista tocando un arpa judía, y con muchos intercambios cómicos hablados entre los dos. En todo momento, Christian McBride toca con la adaptabilidad camaleónica de Milt Hinton o Ray Brown. En las más de dos décadas que lleva en la escena del jazz, Christian McBride ha demostrado que es un maestro en ciernes, y éste es sin duda uno de sus sets más convincentes.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/conversations-with-christian-mw0002231979


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