Hey folks! I had the privilege of chatting with bass extraordinaire Christian McBride a couple weeks ago. Since this interview, I saw Christian perform alongside Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock and others for the White House's celebration of International Jazz Day. He is everywhere!
Christian is a 5 time Grammy Award winner whose recorded on more than 300 albums and is widely considered to be one of the most accomplished and respected bassists of our generation. In his youth, Christian was a prodigy and his contributions to the music world as an adult have not disappointed. As a jazz bassist, he’s played alongside the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, McCoy Tyner, Brad Mehldau, Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis and on and on. Outside of Jazz, he’s played with James Brown, Paul McCartney, Celine Dione, Usher and countless others. When Sting had the chance to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, he decided just to sing and not to play bass and thus, he recruited Christian — and as Sting said, “I don’t give up the seat in my band easily, unless it’s, you know, The Best.”
While Christian remains humble about his own original work, there is a playful sophistication to his composition, and in that way, it's representative of who he is. In other words, even though he may extenuate the depth of his own work, that's Christian being Christian. His technical abilities allow him to push the music further that most musicians could wish for.
Just a few months ago, Christian was the Musical Director for the Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House. Christian, his upright bass and his unmistakable smile are center stage leading the charge throughout the night. In March it was announced that Christian has accepted the role as the new Artistic Director for the Newport Jazz Festival -- he'll replace legendary founder George Wein. You can hear him on “The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian” on SiriusXM satellite radio or on NPR's “Jazz Night in America” weekly radio show. He’s a legend in his time and I’m proud to call him a friend.
