Multiple Grammy winner Christian McBride is one of the leading bassists of the current generation of jazz players, and is revered for his strong, highly swinging technique. On March 18, the acclaimed musician will bring his band Ursa Major to newer local venue Assembly for a very rare Hudson Valley concert appearance.
Born and raised in the musically rich city of Philadelphia, the young McBride was mentored by his idol, the great Roy Brown, and championed by the legendary Benny Carter. He came up on the jazz scene working in an acoustic-dominated post-bop style with such contemporaries as Roy Hargrove, Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Jason Moran, and Benny Green before moving into realms that incorporated funk, fusion, and soul influences. To date, he’s earned a whopping nine Grammy Awards, including two for his trio recordings with Chick Corea and Brian Blade. McBride is also known as the host of NPR’s “Jazz Night in America.”
The long list of luminaries with whom McBride has worked also includes Paul McCartney, James Brown, Sting, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, McCoy Tyner, Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis, Isaac Hayes, the Roots, Queen Latifah, Carly Simon, Bruce Hornsby, Eddie Palmieri, and others. His Ursa Major is a quintet that finds him accompanied by four fiery young players.
Christian McBride and Ursa Major will perform at Assembly in Kingston on March 18 at 7pm. Tickets are $59.45-$94.32.
This article appears in March 2025.
