On Live at the Village Vanguard, bassist extraordinaire Christian McBride revisits the all-acoustic setting with the group Inside Straight that he assembled in 2007. At that time, it marked McBride’s initial return to totally unplugged instrumentation since the 1980s, a decade when he was a rising star. The ensemble of his peers includes original members with saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Warren Wolf and drummer Carl Allen. Peter Martin, who boasts strong ties to New Orleans, having taught at UNO, Tulane and NOCCA, and as a regular on the jazz scene, takes over the piano from Eric Reed.

With McBride’s bass as the heartbeat, this all-star, absolutely compatible ensemble swings throughout this live session, much to the obvious pleasure of the audience. The all-original material comes from the pens of the leader, Wilson and vibist Wolf, who wrote the bright, post-bop opening number, “Sweet Bread.” On his own “Fair Hope Theme,” McBride takes center stage for a solo that is elegant in its brilliant yet intricate simplicity. He follows strong work from Martin, Wilson and Wolf while Allen’s persistent drumming really provides the drive for punching performances.

The program offers much diversity, highlighted by the Latin-tinged “Gang Gang.” The song brings an exotic flavor and exciting rhythms, accented by the splash of cymbals. From there the mood becomes romantic on McBride’s beautiful “Uncle James.”

Happiness prevails on Live at the Village Vanguard with Christian McBride & Inside Straight performing straight-up, solid jazz with improvisational vigor.