Bassist Christian McBride is one of the leading lights of American jazz. A teen prodigy, he came up through the New York scene of the late 80’s and 90’s alongside peers like Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, and Benny Green after studying at Juilliard. So far, he’s won six Grammys and appeared on more than 300 recordings. He also hosts the radio show Jazz Night In America- which airs on WAMC HD2 Sundays at 9pm- and is the artistic director of the Newport Jazz Festival. On Saturday, October 13th, McBride headlines the Pittsfield CityJAZZ Festival at the Colonial Theater. McBride spoke with WAMC about the band he’s bringing with him: Christian McBride’s New Jawn.
Here's the full conversation with McBride, which covers his experience playing with artists like John Zorn and Pat Metheny and what it was like to learn from his heroes while still a teen:
