Christian McBride

Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist, composer, and arranger Christian McBride gained recognition as a teen prodigy after joining saxophonist Bobby Watson’s group, Horizon, in 1989. Subsequently performing with jazz luminaries including Freddie Hubbard, Benny Goloff, George Duke, Milt Jackson, and Hank Jones, he joined Ray Brown’s SuperBass group with John Clayton in 1992, contributing to two albums. McBride launched his solo career in 1995 with his debut album, ‘Gettin’ to It.’ He contributed to the AIDS benefit album ‘Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip’ in 1996 and spoke at President Bill Clinton’s town hall meeting, ‘Racism in the Performing Arts,’ in 1997. His original composition, ‘The Movement, Revisited,’ debuted in 1998.

From 2000 to 2008, McBride led the Christian McBride Band, releasing ‘Vertical Vision’ (2003) and ‘Live at Tonic’ (2006). During this period, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions in 2000 and named co-director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem in 2005. The same year, he began a four-year tenure as Creative Chair for Jazz with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. In 2007, McBride performed alongside jazz legends Sonny Rollins and Roy Haynes at Carnegie Hall.

In March 2016, McBride was named Artistic Director of the Newport Jazz Festival, succeeding its founder, George Wein. He also serves as the host for NPR’s popular radio show, ‘Jazz Night In America.’ Alongside his wife, jazz singer and educator Melissa Walker, McBride actively supports Jazz House Kids, a jazz school dedicated to nurturing young talent. He continues to perform globally, solidifying his status as a leading figure in contemporary jazz.