Now an elder statesman of the bass, Christian McBride searches for new lands to conquer, and he finds them with the wild and loose team of Josh Evans/tp, Marcus Strickland/ts-bcl and Nasheet Waits/dr. Usually known for bands that are deep in the pocket, McBride rides white caps here as Waits gets free, Evans cries out and Strickland’s bass clarinet moans on “John Day” and the drums snap on the frisky and loose “Sightseeing” and “Pier One Import.” Evans wrestles with the rhythm team to a draw on “Ke-Kelli Sketch” and his lonely vibrato creates a nourish “ballad of Ernie Washington.” Yes, there is some hard bop with the horns locking to a pulse for Strickland’s beefy tenor on “Seek the Source” and the soulful but edgy “Walkin’ Funny” along with the muscular “The Middle Man.” Still, the attitude is like stepping into an elevator shaft most of the time, wondering which floor to hang on to. Whew!