Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, bandleader, composer. He has appeared on more than 400 recordings as a sideman, and is an eleven-time Grammy Award winner.

McBride has performed and recorded with a number of jazz musicians and ensembles, including Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Joe Henderson, Diana Krall, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Joshua Redman, George Duke, and Ray Brown's "SuperBass" with John Clayton, as well as with pop, hip-hop, soul, and classical musicians like Sting, Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Isaac Hayes, The Roots, Queen Latifah, Kathleen Battle, Renee Fleming, Carly Simon, Bruce Hornsby, and James Brown.

Early life

McBride was born in Philadelphia on May 31, 1972. After starting on bass guitar, McBride switched to double bass. He is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts and studied at the Juilliard School.

Later life and career

thumb|left|240px|McBride, left with [[Jimmy Heath]]

McBride was heralded as a teen prodigy when he joined saxophonist Bobby Watson's group, Horizon, at the age of 17. From age 17 to 22, McBride played in the bands of older musicians such as Watson, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Milt Jackson, J. J. Johnson and Hank Jones, as well as his peers such as Roy Hargrove, Benny Green, and Joshua Redman. In 1992, jazz bassist Ray Brown formed a group called SuperBass with McBride and Brown protégé John Clayton. The group released two albums: SuperBass: Live at Scullers (1997) and SuperBass 2: Live at the Blue Note (2001).

thumb|Christian McBride performing at New York Bass Collective

McBride was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Quartet in the early 1990s with pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Brian Blade. McBride began leading his own groups in 1995 after the release of his debut album Gettin' to It (Verve). Saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianists Charles Craig and Joey Calderazzo, and drummers Carl Allen and Greg Hutchinson are among the musicians who played in McBride's early groups. From 2000 to 2008, McBride led his own ensemble, the Christian McBride Band, with saxophonist Ron Blake, pianist/keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer, and drummer Terreon Gully. The band released two albums: Vertical Vision (Warner Bros., 2003) and Live at Tonic (Ropeadope, 2006).

McBride appeared as a featured collaborator on Dave Brubeck's 1995 album Young Lions & Old Tigers. Brubeck composed the track "Here Comes McBride" as a piano and double bass duet for the two musicians. A review in PopMatters described the piece as having a jaunty blues feel that reflected Brubeck's roots in stride piano.

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

McBride primarily plays double bass; however, he is equally adept on bass guitar. He played both on the album The Philadelphia Experiment, which included keyboardist Uri Caine and hip-hop drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Other projects have included tours and recordings with the Pat Metheny Trio, the Bruce Hornsby Trio, and Queen Latifah. 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 signed to a two-year contract that was renewed for an additional two years. He was succeeded by Herbie Hancock in 2010.

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. McBride was also tapped by CBS to be a producer for the tribute to Rollins on the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors broadcast.

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 an album 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. The album Five Peace Band Live won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group

In 2011, McBride released his first big band album, The Good Feeling, for which he won the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance. For 2026 Grammy Awards, he got a nomination for the album Windows - Live in the Best Jazz Performance category alongside Chick Corea & Brian Blade.

McBride has led several groups: Inside Straight, featuring alto/soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, pianist Peter Martin and drummer Carl Allen; a trio featuring pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. (and later, drummer Jerome Jennings); his 18-piece big band; an experimental funk group called A Christian McBride Situation with pianist/keyboardist Patrice Rushen, turntablists DJ Logic and Jahi Sundance, saxophonist Ron Blake and vocalist Alyson Williams; the New Jawn, featuring trumpeter Josh Evans, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, and drummer Nasheet Waits; and most recently (starting in 2022), Ursa Major, featuring saxophonist Nicole Glover, guitarist Ely Perlman, pianist/keyboardist Mike King, and drummer Savannah Harris.

In March 2016, McBride was named artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, succeeding the festival's founder and artistic director, George Wein. He stepped down in September 2025.

McBride hosts NPR's radio show, Jazz Night In America.

Personal life

Christian is married to jazz singer and educator Melissa Walker. Walker, with contributions by McBride, leads the Jazz House Kids, a jazz school in their home town of Montclair, New Jersey. Each summer, they both appear at the Montclair Jazz Festival, along with student ensembles led by the instructors, professional ensembles composed of instructors, and guest acts.

McBride shared the story of his first encounters with Freddie Hubbard in "The Gig" and his relationship with James Brown in "Mr. Soul On Top" on The Moth Radio Hour, a radio show and podcast devoted to story-telling.

James Moody Jazz Festival

McBride curates and advises the annual James Moody Jazz Festival, which is held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, NJ.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! Recording date !! Title !! Label !! Year released !! Personnel / Notes

|-

| 1994–08,<br /> 1994–09

| Gettin' to It

| Verve

| 1995

|

|-

| 1995–11

| Number Two Express

| Verve

| 1996

|

|-

| 1998–01

| A Family Affair

| Verve

| 1998

|

|-

| 2000–02

| SciFi

| Verve

| 2000

|

|-

| 2002–06

| Vertical Vision

| Warner Bros.

| 2003

|

|-

| 2005–01

| Live at Tonic

| Ropeadope

| 2006

| Live

|-

| 2008–09

| Kind of Brown

| Mack Avenue

| 2009

|

|-

| 2009

| Conversations with Christian

| Mack Avenue

| 2011

|

|-

| 2011

| The Good Feeling

| Mack Avenue

| 2011

| Big Band. Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

|-

| 2013

| People Music

| Mack Avenue

| 2013

|

|-

| 2013

| Out Here

| Mack Avenue

| 2013

|

|-

| 2013–09

| The Movement Revisited

| Mack Avenue

| 2020

|

|-

| 2014–12

| Live at the Village Vanguard

| Mack Avenue

| 2015

| Live. Grammy Award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

|-

| 2017

| Bringin' It

| Mack Avenue

| 2017

| Big Band. Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

|-

| 2017–05

| Christian McBride's New Jawn

| Mack Avenue

| 2018

|

|-

| 2019

| For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver

| Mack Avenue

| 2020

| Big Band. Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

|-

| 2021–12

| Prime

| Mack Avenue

| 2023

|

|-

| 2024

| But Who's Gonna Play the Melody?

| Mack Avenue

| 2024

| Co-led with Edgar Meyer

|-

| 2025

| Without Further Ado, Vol 1

| Mack Avenue

| 2025

| Big Band. Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

|}

Collaborations<br />

With Roy Hargrove and Stephen Scott

  • Parker's Mood (Verve, 1995)

With Nicholas Payton and Mark Whitfield

  • Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock (Verve, 1997)

As The Philadelphia Experiment<br />

(with Uri Caine, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Pat Martino, John Swana, Larry Gold and Aaron Levinson)

  • The Philadelphia Experiment (Ropeadope, 2001) – rec. 2000

With Chick Corea and Steve Gadd

  • Super Trio: Live at The One World Theatre, April 3rd, 2005 (Mad Hatter Productions, 2006) – Live rec. 2005

With Hank Jones and Jimmy Cobb

  • West of 5th (Chesky, 2006)

With Craig Taborn and Tyshawn Sorey

  • Flaga: Book of Angels Volume 27 (Tzadik, 2016) – rec, 2015<!--–11--> as part of John Zorn's Book of Angels series

Compilation

  • It's Christmas on Mack Avenue (Mack Avenue, 2014)

As sideman

{|class="wikitable sortable"

! Recording date !! Main artist !! Album title !! Label || Year released || Notes

|-

| 1990–09

|

| Obsession

| Muse

| 1991 ||

|-

| 1990–10

|

| Public Eye

| Novus/RCA

| 1991 ||

|-

| 1991–03

|

| Greens

| Blue Note

| 1991 ||

|-

| 1991?

|

| Kenny Kirkland

| GRP

| 1991 ||

|-

| 1991–04

|

| Hot Brass

| Candid

| 1992 ||

|-

| 1991–06

|

| Shadows

| Timeless

| 1992 ||

|-

| 1991–09

|

| Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn

| Verve

| 1992 || Henderson won a Grammy Award for Best Improvised Jazz Solo

|-

| 1991–09

|

|The Lion and His Pride

| Muse

| 1994 ||

|-

| 1991–11

|

| Testifyin': Live at the Village Vanguard

| Blue Note

| 1992 || Live

|-

| 1991–12

|

| Live at Fat Tuesday's

| MusicMasters

| 1992 || Live

|-

| 1991–09,<br /> 1992–01

|

| Reverse the Charges

| Muse

| 1992 ||

|-

| 1992–06

|

|Legends

| MusicMasters

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1992–12<!--–18-->

|

| Hand in Hand

| Novus

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1992–12<!--–23-->

|

| That's Right!

| Blue Note

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1992–12

|

| Presenting Chris Potter

| Criss Cross Jazz

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1992

|

| Joshua Redman

| Warner Bros.

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1993–01

|

| After Dark

| Criss Cross Jazz

| 1994 ||

|-

| 1993–02, <br />1993–03

|

| Lookin' on the Bright Side

| DIW

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1993–06<!--–06-->

|

| Munchin

| Muse

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1993–06<!--–18-->

|

| Tenor Legacy

| Blue Note

| 1994 ||

|-

| 1993?

|

| The Leading Man

| DIW

| 1993 ||

|-

| 1994–03<!--–10-->

|

| Moodswing

| Warner Bros.

| 1994 ||

|-

| 1994–03<!--–23-->

|

| The Place To Be

| Blue Note

| 1994 ||

|-

| 1994?

|

| Pearls

| Elektra

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1994–09,<br /> 1994–11<!--–06-->

| Joe Henderson

| Double Rainbow: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim

| Verve

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1994–05,<br /> 1994–08,<br /> 1994–11<!--–08-->

|

| A Turtle's Dream

| Verve

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1994–09

| Diana Krall

| Only Trust Your Heart

| GRP

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1994–11<!--–29-->

| McCoy Tyner

| Prelude and Sonata

| Milestone

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1994–12<!--–17-->

|

| Signs of Life

| Criss Cross Jazz

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1994–12<!--–23-->

|

| Tango in Harlem

| Verve/Gitanes

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1994–03,<br /> 1995–01<!--–22-->

| Joe Lovano

| Quartets: Live at the Village Vanguard

| Blue Note

| 1995 || Live

|-

| 1995–01<!--–25-->

| Jimmy Smith

| Damn!

| Verve

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1995–01<!--–26-->

| Jimmy Smith

| Angel Eyes: Ballads & Slow Jams

| Verve

| 1996 ||

|-

| 1995–01<!--–29-->

| Roy Hargrove

| Family

| Verve

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1995–03,<br /> 1995–04

|

| Introducing Brad Mehldau

| Warner Bros.

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1995?

| Michael Wolff

| Jumpstart!

| Jimco

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1995

| Michael Wolff

| 2AM

| Cabana Boy

| 1995 ||

|-

| 1995–10

| Fleurine

| Meant to Be!

| Blue Music

| 1996 ||

|-

| 1996–01

| Cedar Walton

| Composer

| Astor Place

| 1996 ||

|-

| 1996–03

| McCoy Tyner

| What the World Needs Now: The Music of Burt Bacharach

| Impulse!

| 1997 ||

|-

| 1992–03,<br /> 1996–06

| Joe Henderson

| Big Band

| Verve

| 1997 ||

|-

| 1996–08<!--–21-->

| Harold Mabern

| Mabern's Grooveyard

| DIW

| 1998 ||

|-

| 1996–08<!--–24-->

| Frank Foster

| Leo Rising

| Arabesque

| 1997 ||

|-

| 1996

| Chick Corea

| Remembering Bud Powell

| Stretch

| 1997 ||

|-

| 1997–03

| Renee Rosnes

| As We Are Now

| Blue Note

| 1997 ||

|-

| 1997?

| Diana Krall

| Love Scenes

| Impulse!

| 1997 ||

|-

| 1997?

|

| Right On My Way Home

| Blue Note

| 1997 || on tracks #1, 3–5, 7

|-

| 1998–06

| Yutaka Shiina

| United

| BMG

| 1998 ||

|-

| 1998?

| Freddie Hubbard

| God Bless the Child

| MusicMasters Jazz

| 1998 ||

|-

| 1998?

| George Duke

| After Hours

| Warner Bros.

| 1998 ||

|-

| 1999–01

|

| These Are Soulful Days

| Blue Note

| 1999 ||

|-

| 1999–05–<br /> 1999–06

| Eliane Elias

| Everything I Love

| Blue Note

| 2000 ||

|-

| 1999–06<!--–21-->

| Harold Mabern

| Maya with Love

| DIW

| 2000 ||

|-

| 2000?

|

| Naturally

| Telarc

| 2000 ||

|-

| 2001–01

| Jim Hall

| Jim Hall & Basses

| Telarc

| 2001 || on tracks #2, 8

|-

| 2001–01,<br /> 2001–03,<br /> 2001–06

| Diana Krall

| The Look of Love

| Verve

| 2001 ||

|-

| 2001–09

| Sting

| All This Time

| A&M

| 2001 ||

|-

| 2001–11,<br /> 2001–12

| Diana Krall

| Live in Paris

| Verve

| 2002 || Live

|-

| 2002

| George Duke

| Face the Music

| Big Piano Music (BPM)

| 2002 ||

|-

| 2002

| Chris Botti

| December

| Columbia

| 2002 ||

|-

| 2002–12

| Chick Corea

| Rendezvous in New York

| Stretch

| 2004 || Live

|-

| 2003–01

| Pat Martino

| Think Tank

| Blue Note

| 2003 ||

|-

| 2003?

| Sting

| Sacred Love

| A&M

| 2003 ||

|-

| 2003?

| David Sanborn

| Time Again

| Verve

| 2003 ||

|-

| 2003–11

| McCoy Tyner

| Illuminations

| Telarc

| 2004 || Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album

|-

| 2003–<br />2004

| Diana Krall

| The Girl in the Other Room

| Verve

| 2004 ||

|-

| 2004?

| Regina Belle

| Lazy Afternoon

| Peak

| 2004 ||

|-

| 2004?

| David Sanborn

| Closer

| Verve

| 2004 ||

|-

| 2004–12

| Pat Metheny

| Tokyo Day Trip

| Nonesuch

| 2008 || Live

|-

| 2005–01

| Eddie Palmieri

| Listen Here!

| Concord Picante

| 2005 ||

|-

| 2005?

| George Duke

| Duke

| Big Piano Music (BPM)

| 2005 ||

|-

| 2005?

| Chris Botti

| To Love Again: The Duets

| Columbia

| 2005 ||

|-

| 2005–08

| Chick Corea

| Chillin' In Chelan

| Stretch

| 2007 || Japan-only release

|-

| 2005–10

| Pat Metheny

| Day Trip

| Nonesuch

| 2008 ||

|-

| 2006–05,<br /> 2006–06

|

| Back East

| Nonesuch

| 2007 ||

|-

| 2006–07

| Chris Botti

| Italia

| Columbia

| 2007 ||

|-

| 2006–12

| McCoy Tyner

| Quartet

| McCoy Tyner Music

| 2007 ||

|-

| 2007–04

| Bruce Hornsby

| Camp Meeting

| Legacy Recordings

| 2007 ||

|-

| 2007?

| Queen Latifah

| Trav'lin' Light

| Verve

| 2007 ||

|-

| 2008?

| David Sanborn

| Here and Gone

| Decca

| 2008 ||

|-

| 2008?

| George Duke

| Dukey Treats

| Big Piano Music (BPM)

| 2008 ||

|-

| 2008–10,<br /> 2008–11

| Chick Corea and John McLaughlin

| Five Peace Band Live

| Concord

| 2009 || Live. Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

|-

| 2009–05

| James Carter

| Heaven on Earth

| Half Note

| 2009 ||

|-

| 2011–10

| Ulysses Owens Jr.

| Unanimous

| Criss Cross Jazz

| 2012 ||

|-

| 2011–03,<br /> 2011–11

| Paul McCartney

| Kisses on the Bottom

| Hear Music

| 2012 ||

|-

| 2010–10<br /> 2012–12

| Chick Corea

| Trilogy

| Concord

| 2013 || Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album

|-

| 2013?

| George Duke

| DreamWeaver

| Big Piano Music (BPM)

| 2013 ||

|-

| 2014–02

| Joseph Tawadros

| Permission to Evaporate

| Joseph Tawadros

| 2014 ||

|-

| 2014

| Diana Krall

| Wallflower

| Verve

| 2015 ||

|-

| 2015–01

| Peter Bernstein

| Signs Live!

| Smoke Sessions

| 2017 || [2CD] Live

|-

| 2016

| Diana Krall

| Turn Up the Quiet

| Verve

| 2017 ||

|-

| 2019–09

| Joshua Redman

| RoundAgain

| Nonesuch

| 2020 ||

|-

| 2007,<br /> 2019–09

| Joshua Redman

| LongGone

| Nonesuch

| 2022 ||

|-

| 2022–05,<br /> 2022–06

| George Freeman

| The Good Life

| HighNote

| 2023 ||

|}

See also

  • List of jazz bassists

References

  • Official website
  • 'Ep. 29: Featuring 6-time Grammy Award winning bassist Christian McBride' Interview by Tigran Arakelyan
  • "Industry Q&A with Christian McBride ", Jazzfuel.com, 26 November 2019.
  • Mack Avenue Artist Page
  • Chris M. Slawecki, "Christian McBride Throws Down", AllAboutJazz, May 23, 2006. Retrieved September 28, 2007
  • David Miller, "Live at Tonic", AllAboutJazz.com, May 21, 2006. Retrieved August 11, 2007
  • Donald True Van Deusen, "Christian McBride: Bass Beautiful" AllAboutJazz, October 6, 2004 Retrieved August 11, 2007
  • Todd S. Jenkins, "The Philadelphia Experiment", AllAboutJazz.com, July 1, 2001. Retrieved August 11, 2007
  • Nate Chinen, "A Situation Is Brewing, Acoustic and Fierce", New York Times, June 28, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2009
  • Christian McBride Band MySpace Page
  • Conversation With Christian McBride, 10/01/2007
  • Christian McBride telling a story entitled "The Gig" on The Moth podcast
  • Conversation with Christian McBride - State of Mind, April 2006
  • Interview with Christian McBride for the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Oral History Program July 18, 2015