| Number Two Express | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 15, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | November 16–17, 1995 | |||
| Studio | Clinton Recording Studios, NYC | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 63:52 | |||
| Label | Verve | |||
| Producer | Richard Seidel, Don Sickler | |||
| Christian McBride chronology | ||||
| ||||
Number Two Express is the second studio album by the American jazz bassist Christian McBride. It was recorded in 1995 and released by Verve Records the following year.[1] The album peaked at #23 in the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[2]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
Scott Yanow of AllMusic commented: "Continually interesting music which contains plenty of variety".[3] Bill Kohlhaase, of the Los Angeles Times, wrote: "Bass sensation Christian McBride has followed his well-received debut album, 'Gettin' to It,' with a surprisingly modern album that shows him moving ahead in taste and ambition. While the first album focused on soulful sounds and its leader's gutbucket pluck, the new disc plunges hard ahead with smarts, sizzle and fine interplay between celebrity players including pianists Chick Corea and Kenny Barron, saxophonists Gary Bartz and Kenny Garrett, vibist Steve Nelson and drummer Jack DeJohnette (playing with Corea for the first time since their Miles Davis days). Not only has McBride's material become more sophisticated, his improvisations have also progressed a notch. They're not so reliant on riffs and repetition."[4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whirling Dervish" | McBride | 8:22 |
| 2. | "Youthful Bliss" | McBride | 7:52 |
| 3. | "Tones for Joan's Bones" | Chick Corea | 6:43 |
| 4. | "EGAD" | McBride | 6:66 |
| 5. | "Miyako" | Wayne Shorter | 5:23 |
| 6. | "Divergence" | McBride | 9:21 |
| 7. | "Jayne" | Ornette Coleman | 5:05 |
| 8. | "Morning Story" | McBride | 4:51 |
| 9. | "Grove" | McBride | 6:11 |
| 10. | "Little Sunflower" | Freddie Hubbard | 3:58 |
| Total length: | 63:52 | ||
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Jazz Albums (Billboard)[5] | 23 |
