Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer, and arranger. He has played on over 400 recordings as a supporting musician and has won eleven Grammy Awards.

McBride has performed and recorded with many jazz musicians and groups, 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. He has also worked with pop, hip-hop, soul, and classical musicians such as 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. He began playing the bass guitar and later changed to the double bass. He graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. He also studied at the Juilliard School.

Later life and career

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

McBride was a member of saxophonist Joshua Redman's Quartet in the early 1990s with pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Brian Blade. He began leading his own groups in 1995 after releasing his debut album Gettin' to It (Verve). Musicians such as saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianists Charles Craig and Joey Calderazzo, and drummers Carl Allen and Greg Hutchinson 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 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 lively 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 also skilled on bass guitar. He played both instruments 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 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, to commemorate Rollins' 50th anniversary of his first performance there. McBride was also chosen 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 the 2026 Grammy Awards, he received a nomination for the album Windows – Live in the Best Jazz Performance category alongside Chick Corea and 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 Melissa Walker, a jazz singer and teacher. Melissa Walker, along with help from McBride, runs the Jazz House Kids, a jazz school in their hometown of Montclair, New Jersey. Every summer, Christian and Melissa perform at the Montclair Jazz Festival. Other performers include student groups led by teachers, professional groups made up of teachers, and special guest performers.

McBride told the story of his first meeting with Freddie Hubbard in "The Gig" and shared his experience with James Brown in "Mr. Soul On Top" on The Moth Radio Hour, a radio show and podcast focused on storytelling.

James Moody Jazz Festival

McBride helps organize and gives advice for the annual James Moody Jazz Festival, which takes place every year at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, New Jersey.