20 Facts About Christian McBride

Christian McBride was born on May 31,1972 and is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger.

Christian McBride has appeared on more than 300 recordings as a sideman, and is an eight-time Grammy Award winner.

Christian McBride is a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, and studied at the Juilliard School.

Christian 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, Christian McBride played in the bands of older musicians such as Watson, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, George Duke, Milt Jackson, JJ Johnson and Hank Jones, as well as his peers such as Roy Hargrove, Benny Green, and Joshua Redman.

Christian McBride was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Quartet in the early 1990s with pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Brian Blade.

Christian McBride began leading his own groups in 1995 after the release of his debut album Gettin' to It.

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

Christian McBride primarily plays double bass, but he is equally adept on bass guitar.

Christian McBride played both on the album The Philadelphia Experiment, which included keyboardist Uri Caine and hip-hop drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson.

In 2006, Christian McBride was named to the position of Creative Chair for Jazz with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, taking over from Dianne Reeves.

Christian McBride was signed to a two-year contract that was renewed for an additional two years.

Christian 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.

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

In 2008, Christian McBride joined John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett and Vinnie Colaiuta in a jazz fusion supergroup called the Five Peace Band.

In 2011 Christian McBride released his first big band album, The Good Feeling, for which he won the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance.

In March 2016, Christian McBride was named artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival, succeeding the festival's founder and artistic director, George Wein.

Christian McBride is married to jazz singer and educator Melissa Walker.

Walker, with contributions by Christian McBride, leads the Jazz House Kids, a jazz school in their home town of Montclair, New Jersey.

Christian 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.