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Christian McBride

The finest musicians to spring from the world of jazz have clearly had an advantage when it comes to branching into other genres of music. Their mastery of composition, arranging and sight reading coupled with their flair for improvisation and spontaneous creation make them possibly the most seasoned and adaptable musicians in the art. Grammy Award winner Christian McBride, chameleonic virtuoso of the acoustic and electric bass, stands tall at the top of this clique. Beginning in 1989—the beginning of an amazing career in which he still has wider-reaching goals to attain - the Philadelphian has thus far been first-call-requested to accompany literally hundreds of fine artists, ranging in an impressive array from McCoy Tyner and Sting to Kathleen Battle and Diana Krall. However, it is his own recordings—albums that encompass a diverse canon of original compositions and imaginatively arranged covers—that reveal the totality of his musicianship. He currently leads one of the hottest bands in music—the propulsive Christian McBride Band (saxophonist Ron Blake, keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer and drummer Terreon Gully).

The most awe-inspiring thing about Christian McBride is that his prowess as a player is only half of what makes him such a respected, in-demand and mind-bogglingly busy individual. The portrait is completed by a mere mid-thirty-something man who carved out time to speak at former President Clinton’s town hall meeting on “Racism in the Performing Arts.” He holds Artistic Director posts at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass summer program and the Dave Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA. McBride participated in a Stanford University panel on “Black Performing Arts in Mainstream America.” He’s hosted insightful one-on-one “jazz chats” in Cyberspace on Sonicnet.com. He also scribed the foreword for pianist Jonny King’s book, What Jazz Is (Walker & Co., New York).

2005 witnessed his adding two more prestigious appointments to his resume. In January, he was named co-director of The Jazz Museum in Harlem. While assisting Leonard Garment and Loren Schoenberg in obtaining government grants and the participation of top flight historians/musicians, Christian will be focusing on a longtime concern: exposing jazz to young people.

“To a degree, jazz is non-existent in most major urban communities, which deeply saddens me,” McBride states. “Kids don't understand who our jazz greats were. My contribution towards rectifying this will be getting them to check out free events at the museum by inviting jazz and non-jazz musicians, athletes and speakers that they can relate to.”

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6
Album Review

Christian McBride, Edgar Meyer: But Who's Gonna Play The Melody?

Read "But Who's Gonna Play The Melody?" reviewed by Mike Jurkovic


It is not known exactly how many duets of this nature have fallen into the lackluster bin of audio history. But rest assured that But Who's Gonna Play The Melody? is as far from that incalculable number as the moon is from the sun. Emblematic of Christian McBride's whole groove credo, everything falls into place quickly, smoothly, and easily on But Who's Gonna Play The Melody?. On the bassist's gazillionth high spirited musical offering, McBride soul-teams with finger-snapping, ...

Album Review

Claudia Acuna: Duo

Read "Duo" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Alcuni classici della canzone popolare latina costituiscono il nucleo del sesto disco da leader di Claudia Acuña. In questa celebrazione la cantante cilena ha coinvolto sette protagonisti del jazz contemporaneo in altrettante esecuzioni in duo caratterizzate da palpitante relazione con la loro identità tradizionale. I due brani conclusivi sono cantati in inglese e la vedono piena protagonista: “Cristal Silence" di Chick Corea è cantato a cappella; “YO" è una sua composizione originale eseguita con un sottofondo percussivo. ...

7
In Pictures

Renewing the Legacy: The Day 2 Musical Odyssey at the Newport Jazz Festival

Read "Renewing the Legacy: The Day 2 Musical Odyssey at the Newport Jazz Festival" reviewed by Dave Kaufman


Day 1 | Day 2 | Part 3 The first day at the Newport showcased a multitude of performers who could be described as “beyond jazz" or “jazz adjacent." Their performances were greeted enthusiastically, and they added a palpable energy and a festive vibe. In the last two days of the festival, the balance shifted somewhat to artists working within the elastic boundaries of the tradition. Kudos to artist director Christian McBride for curating an exceptional roster of ...

1
Album Review

Miho Hazama M_Unit: Beyond Orbits

Read "Beyond Orbits" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Uno degli eventi al Monterey Jazz Festival del 2021 è stato il concerto dell'M_Unit di Miho Hazama, la giovane compositrice e bandleader giapponese che s'è imposta tra le figure più innovative della sua generazione. In quell'occasione Hazama ha presentato la suite in tre movimenti “Exoplanet" che--incisa poi in studio--costituisce il fulcro del disco appena pubblicato dalla Edition Records. Chi conosce i suoi lavori di questi anni, sa quanto la scrittura della bandleader risulti coinvolgente per l'abilità di ...

2
Album Review

Nicole Zuraitis: How Love Begins

Read "How Love Begins" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Love is not for the faint of heart.  Its tides are unpredictable, bound to different souls, intensifying and ebbing in parallel to the feelings and favors of each individual who exerts their gravitational pull on an evolving romance.  Musically charting those waters--depicting the full scope of that sea through song--is no simple feat. Yet some supreme talents, like this one, make it happen and make it look easy. Nicole Zuraitis--a first-rate songwriter, powerhouse vocalist and grade-A pianist--proves to be an ...

26
Album Review

George Freeman: The Good Life

Read "The Good Life" reviewed by Jack Bowers


For guitarist George Freeman, The Good Life has also been a long life. He was a nimble-fingered ninety-five-year-old plectrist when this splendid album was recorded in May and June 2022, which makes it all the more grievous to know it would be organ maestro Joey DeFrancesco's last recording date; he died of a heart attack some three months later at the relatively young age of fifty-one. Freeman leads two trios here, the first with DeFrancesco on organ ...

4
Live Review

Christian McBride’s New Jawn at The Arden Gild Hall

Read "Christian McBride’s New Jawn at The Arden Gild Hall" reviewed by Cary Tenenbaum


Christian McBride's New Jawn Arden Gild Hall Arden, DE March 30, 2023 Nestled in a residential neighborhood in the little historic town of Arden, Delaware, just outside of Wilmington, is the Arden Club and Gild Hall. The mission of the hall according to its web page is to be “dedicated to the enjoyment of and the participation of the arts." This show was presented by The Arden Concert Gild, which is one of the various ...

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2

Education

Registration Now Open For New Jersey Performing Arts Center's TD Jazz For Teens Education Program

Registration Now Open For New Jersey Performing Arts Center's  TD  Jazz For Teens Education Program

Source: AMT Public Relations

Announcing New Class: Music Composition & Arranging Impacting Thousands of Young Musicians for the Past 25 Years Fall Semester: October 7–December16, 2023 Spring Semester: January 27-May 18, 2024, 10:00am-5:00pm (schedules vary) New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Colton Institute for Research and Training in the Arts, 24 Rector Street, Newark, NJ, 07102 (Newark Penn Station stop by Newark-bound PATH/Amtrak). Student musicians ages 12-18. Register: $650 per semester. $1,100 for full year. Registration is required and financial aid is available. ...

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Event

Hundreds Gathered For New Jersey Performing Arts Center's International Jazz Day Event Including Newark Mayor Baraka

Hundreds Gathered For New Jersey Performing Arts Center's International Jazz Day Event Including Newark Mayor Baraka

Source: AMT Public Relations

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) hosted a free musical celebration in honor of International Jazz Day 4/30 featuring performances by 100+ young New Jersey musicians with special guest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. Co-produced by NJPAC, City Verses, and Jazz House Kids, this popular concert unites youth musicians from NJPAC's City Verses jazz and poetry initiative, NJPAC's Jazz for Teens ensembles featuring James Moody Jazz Orchestra and The George Wein Scholars Ensemble, Jazz House Big Band, and local high ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Christian McBride

Jazz Musician of the Day: Christian McBride

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Christian McBride's birthday today!

The finest musicians to spring from the world of jazz have clearly had an advantage when it comes to branching into other genres of music. Their mastery of composition, arranging and sight reading coupled with their flair for improvisation and spontaneous creation make them possibly the most seasoned and adaptable musicians in the art. Grammy Award winner Christian McBride, chameleonic virtuoso of the acoustic and electric bass, stands tall at the ...

1

Festival

Christian McBride, John Clayton Highlight Virtual Tri-C JazzFest

Christian McBride, John Clayton Highlight Virtual Tri-C JazzFest

Source: All About Jazz

Two of the jazz world’s preeminent bassists—Christian McBride and John Clayton—will share stories via live chats during the virtual edition of the 41st annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, presented by KeyBank. Each Grammy Award winner highlights a night of music during the three-day online event Friday, Aug. 21, to Sunday, Aug. 23. Listen for McBride on the festival’s first day; Clayton is set to call in Saturday, Aug. 22. The free virtual festival begins at 7 p.m. each night and will ...

5

Recording

Eva Cortés New Release - Todas Las Voces - Features Christian McBride, Elio Villafranca, Eric Harland And More!

Eva Cortés New Release - Todas Las Voces - Features Christian McBride, Elio Villafranca, Eric Harland And More!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

TRRC Presents Eva Cortés Todas las Voces July 17th Debut Release with All-Star Band! Featuring: Christian McBride, Elio Villafranca, Eric Harland, Doug Beavers, Luisito Quintero, Román Filiú and Luques Curtis! “My music is nothing but a reflection of what my life has been." Honduran/Spanish singer, songwriter and composer Eva Cortés delivers a revelatory set of flamenco and blues-tinged Latin jazz on her newest record, Todas las Voces. Working for the second time with producer, arranger and trombonist Doug Beavers (Eddie ...

1

Recording

Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Brian Blade Reunite After 26 Years with RoundAgain, out now on Nonesuch

Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride & Brian Blade  Reunite After 26 Years with RoundAgain, out now on Nonesuch

Source: Nonesuch Publicity

The members of the original Joshua Redman Quartet—Redman (saxophone), Brad Mehldau (piano), Christian McBride (bass), and Brian Blade (drums)—reunite with the July 10, 2020 release of RoundAgain, the group’s first recording since 1994’s MoodSwing. The album features seven newly composed songs: three from Redman, two from Mehldau, and one each from McBride and Blade. On Wednesday, July 22 at 4pm ET on the NPR Music YouTube channel, NPR Music and Jazz Night In America will host a live chat and ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Christian McBride

Jazz Musician of the Day: Christian McBride

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Christian McBride's birthday today!

The finest musicians to spring from the world of jazz have clearly had an advantage when it comes to branching into other genres of music. Their mastery of composition, arranging and sight reading coupled with their flair for improvisation and spontaneous creation make them possibly the most seasoned and adaptable musicians in the art. Grammy Award winner Christian McBride, chameleonic virtuoso of the acoustic and electric bass, stands tall at the ...

1

For Sale

Mack Avenue Music Group Presents: allONE – Four Days for Mack Avenue Artists

Mack Avenue Music Group Presents: allONE – Four Days for Mack Avenue Artists

Source: All About Jazz

The new reality that musical creatives are facing from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly unprecedented. In response, Mack Avenue Music Group is gearing up for what they hope will be their most robust and important web event to date – one that directly supports the artists who make the music we all love. Launching with International Jazz Day on Thursday, April 30 and extending through Sunday, May 3, Mack Avenue is launching the allONE initiative: a webstore ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Christian McBride

Jazz Musician of the Day: Christian McBride

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Christian McBride's birthday today!

The finest musicians to spring from the world of jazz have clearly had an advantage when it comes to branching into other genres of music. Their mastery of composition, arranging and sight reading coupled with their flair for improvisation and spontaneous creation make them possibly the most seasoned and adaptable musicians in the art. Grammy Award winner Christian McBride, chameleonic virtuoso of the acoustic and electric bass... Read more.

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Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Christian McBride's New Jawn

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Christian McBride's New Jawn

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's take a look at some videos of bassist Christian McBride's New Jawn, who will be in St. Louis to perform starting this coming Wednesday, November 29 through Sunday, December 2 at Jazz St. Louis. A man of many musical projects, McBride has played at the Bistro several times in recent years with both his trio and his Inside Straight quintet, and also leads a big band, which hasn't toured extensively for the usual economic reasons, but won ...

Photos

Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

But Who's Gonna Play...

Mack Avenue Records
2024

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Prime

Brother Mister Productions
2023

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The Good Life

HighNote Records
2023

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How Love Begins

Outside in Music
2023

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Beyond Orbits

Edition Records
2023

buy

Queen Rising

The Kersten Stevens Experience, LLC
2023

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Clerow's Flipped

From: Live at Tonic
By Christian McBride

Videos

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