Christian McBride

MoodSwing

Joshua Redman · 1994

MoodSwing (1994) captured these four in the middle of their separate ascents. MehldauBrad Mehldauブラッド・メルドー, McBrideChristian McBrideクリスチャン・マクブライド, and BladeBrian Bladeブライアン・ブレイド each went on to build defining careers of their own. In 2020 the same band reunited as RoundAgain.

2023. Christian McBrideChristian McBrideクリスチャン・マクブライド's pianoless quartet New Jawn — the chordless format opens space he doesn't get in his other projects. 'Head Bedlam,' 'Prime,' 'Walkin' Funny.'

— NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, 2023

In 2018, Christian McBrideChristian McBrideクリスチャン・マクブライド launched the pianoless quartet New Jawn with Josh Evans and Marcus Strickland, pursuing an open contrapuntal sound distinct from his mainstream work.

— Christian McBride's New Jawn, JAZZIZ, 2020

In 1989, the 17-year-old Christian McBrideChristian McBrideクリスチャン・マクブライド moved to New York for Juilliard and quickly became the go-to bassist for Roy HargroveRoy Hargroveロイ・ハーグローブ and Joshua RedmanJoshua Redmanジョシュア・レッドマン's generation of quartets.

— Christian McBride's New Jawn, JAZZIZ, 2020

Gettin' to It

Christian McBride · 1995

Christian McBride calls his teacher Ray Brown one of the few bassists whose time was strong enough to make drums feel unnecessary. On his 1995 debut Gettin' to It, McBride made that literal — a three-bass summit with Brown and elder statesman Milt Hinton carrying a track with no drummer at all.

— Statement stmt-christian-mcbride-on-ray-brown

Live at the Village Vanguard

Christian McBride · 2015

Vessels Of Wood And Earth

Dan Wilson, Joy Brown, Marco Panascia, Christian Sands, Jeff "Tain" Watts · 2021

Unanimous

Ulysses Owens · 2012

Christian McBride says he deliberately built his New Jawn band as the 180-degree opposite of his earlier trio with pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. — a group whose sound and character were already firmly established and well received. Rather than refine a winning formula, he chose to break from it.

— Statement stmt-christian-mcbride-on-christian-sands

Ray Brown was one of these ... he was one of the very few bass players where drums seem superfluous, because his beat was so strong.

On the strength of his mentor Ray Brown's time feel, in a 2015 NPR interview.

Ray Brown was the one that let me know that it was ok to actually enjoy what you're doing on stage.

On how Ray Brown showed him that a serious jazz musician need not look grim on stage.

I really wanted this band to be a complete 180-degree turn from the trio that I had with Christian Sands and Ulysses Owens, because that trio got to be very popular and they had a very distinct sound and a distinct personality.

Explaining in 2023 why he conceived his band New Jawn as a deliberate break from his trio with Christian Sands.

WBGO

'Be ready for what comes your way': Christian McBride on his New Jawn

2023-02-25

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I realized almost immediately that this band wouldn't stay together for very long. They were without a doubt, for our generation, among the most accomplished and innovative on their respective instruments.

On the 2020 reunion of his 1994 quartet, describing why the original band with Mehldau, McBride and Blade could not last.