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. In the jazz community, McBride is widely considered to be one of the best bassists of his generation.
Biography
McBride 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, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, and Ray Brown's "Superbass" with John Clayton, as well as with hip-hop, pop, soul, and classical musicians like The Roots[1], Kathleen Battle, Carly Simon, Sting, Bruce Hornsby, and James Brown.
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." 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.
McBride primarily plays upright bass, but is equally adept on the electric bass. During his tenure with Sting (2001-2003), 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.
Since 2006, McBride has held the position of "Creative Chair for Jazz" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, taking over from Dianne Reeves. He will continue in the position until 2010, when Herbie Hancock takes the position.[2]
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.[3]
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.
Discography
As leader
As sideman
With John Beasley
With Freddie Hubbard
With Joe Henderson
WIth McCoy Tyner
WIth Benny Green
- Greens (1991)
- Testifyin': Live at the Village Vanguard (1992)
- That's Right (1992)
- The Place To Be (1994)
- These Are Soulful Days (1999)
- Naturally (2000)
With Roy Hargrove
With Joshua Redman
With Diana Krall
With Sting
With George Duke
With Chick Corea
With David Sanborn
With Chris Botti
CD Reviews
References
External links
- Christian McBride Throws Down Chris M. Slawecki, AllAboutJazz, May 23, 2006, Retrieved September 28, 2007
- Live at Tonic David Miller, AllAboutJazz.com, May 21, 2006 Retrieved August 11, 2007
- Christian McBride: Bass Beautiful Donald True Van Deusen, AllAboutJazz.com, October 6, 2004 Retrieved August 11, 2007
- The Philadelphia Experiment Todd S. Jenkins, AllAboutJazz.com, July 1, 2001 Retrieved August 11, 2007
- A Situation Is Brewing, Acoustic and Fierce Nate Chinen "New York Times.com", June 28, 2007 Retrieved March 8, 2009
- Christian McBride Band MySpace Page
- Official website
- The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
- Conversation With Christian McBride, 10/01/2007
