Christian McBride appears with two members from his quintet of leading jazz musicians, formed in 2009. ‘Judging by its performance,’ suggests NPR Music, ‘Inside Straight captures this band’s aesthetic well: it’s both “inside” a comfortable groove pocket and “straight”-forwardly bluesy;’ while alternatively JazzTimes sees it as ‘an opportunity for McBride to call the shots on his own terms with some handpicked compadres.’