Christian McBride

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Christian McBride

McBride at the 2009 Detroit Jazz Festival
Photo: Brian Callahan
Background information
Birth name Christian Lee McBride
Born May 31, 1972 (1972-05-31) (age 39)
Origin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Genres Jazz, jazz fusion
Occupations Bassist
Years active since 1989
Labels Verve, Warner Bros., Ropeadope, Mack Avenue
Website www.christianmcbride.com

Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American jazz bassist. His father, Lee Smith, and his great uncle, Howard Cooper, are well known Philadelphia bassists who served as McBride's early mentors. He is regarded as a virtuoso, and is one of the most recorded musicians of his generation, having appeared on close to 300 recordings as a sideman before the age of 40.

Contents

[edit] Biography

After starting on bass guitar, McBride switched to double bass and studied at the Juilliard School.[1]

He has performed and recorded with a huge number of jazz legends and ensembles, including Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Diana Krall, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Wynton Marsalis, Hank Jones, Joshua Redman, and Ray Brown's "Superbass" with John Clayton, as well as with hip-hop, pop, soul, and classical musicians like The Roots,[2] Kathleen Battle, Carly Simon, Sting, Bruce Hornsby, and James Brown.

In 1996, McBride contributed to the AIDS benefit album Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip produced by the Red Hot Organization.

Since 2000, McBride has fronted his own acoustic, jazz, fusion and funk ensemble, "The Christian McBride Band". As writer Alan Leeds has stated, it is "one of the most intoxicating, least predictable bands on the scene today."[citation needed] McBride also plays on occasion under the moniker "A Christian McBride Situation," McBride's "blanket term for a passing arrangement of sympathetic players" according to writer Nate Chinen.[citation needed]

McBride primarily plays upright bass, but is equally adept on the electric bass. During his tenure with Sting (2001–03), he also played bass for the collaborative project, "The Philadelphia Experiment." The Philadelphia Experiment included keyboardist Uri Caine and hip-hop drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Recent projects have included tours and recordings with the Pat Metheny Trio, the Bruce Hornsby Trio, and Queen Latifah. His Live at Tonic three-CD set was released in 2006. And like Paul Chambers, McBride can solo by playing his bass arco style.

In 2006, McBride was named to the position of "Creative Chair for Jazz" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, taking over from Dianne Reeves. He was initially signed to a two-year contract that was subsequently renewed for an additional two years. He was eventually succeeded by Herbie Hancock in 2010.[3]

McBride performed with Sonny Rollins and Roy Haynes at Carnegie Hall on September 18, 2007, in commemoration of Rollins' 50th anniversary of his first performance there.[4]

He is also co-director of the new National Jazz Museum in Harlem.

McBride is currently touring in a "straight-ahead" quintet called "Christian McBride & Inside Straight" featuring alto/soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Peter Martin (jazz pianist) and drummer Carl Allen, as well as performing as "A Christian McBride Situation" with saxophonist Ron Blake, guitarist David Gilmore & turntablist DJ Logic.

In 2008, McBride joined John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett and Vinnie Colaiuta in a jazz fusion supergroup called the Five Peace Band. They released a CD in February 2009 and completed their world tour in May of that year, as Brian Blade took over for Vinnie Colaiuta as drummer in Asia and some US concerts.

He released his first big band album, titled "The Good Feeling" in 2011.

[edit] Discography

McBride, left with Jimmy Heath

[edit] As leader

Title Year of release Label
Gettin' To It 1995 Verve
Number Two Express 1996 Verve
A Family Affair 1998 Verve
Sci-Fi 2000 Verve
The Philadelphia Experiment 2001 Ropeadope Records
Vertical Vision 2003 Warner Bros. Records
Live at Tonic 2006 Ropeadope Records
Kind of Brown 2009 Mack Avenue
The Good Feeling (Christian McBride Big Band) 2011 Mack Avenue
Conversations With Christian 2011 Mack Avenue

[edit] As sideman

[icon] This section requires expansion.

With Chris Botti

With Regina Belle

With Chick Corea

With George Duke

With Benny Green

With Roy Hargrove

With Joe Henderson

With Bruce Hornsby

With Freddie Hubbard

With Hank Jones

With Diana Krall

With Queen Latifah

With Joe Lovano

With Pat Metheny and Antonio Sanchez

With Joshua Redman

With David Sanborn

With Sting

With McCoy Tyner

With Michael Wolff

  • Jumpstart (1995)
  • 2AM (1997)

[edit] CD reviews

[edit] References

  1. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Christian McBride: Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/christian-mcbride-p103298/biography. Retrieved 2011-01-02. 
  2. ^ [1][dead link]
  3. ^ "Christian McBride bio". Los Angeles Philharmonic. http://www.laphil.com/press/press_kits/wdch_pk_2006/mcbride_bio.pdf. Retrieved September 23, 2009. 
  4. ^ "Garnegie Hall official website". Carnegiehall.org. http://www.carnegiehall.org/SiteCode/Search/AdvancedSearch.aspx. Retrieved 2011-07-17. 

[edit] External links

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