Saxophonist Christopher McBride is entering a pivotal new chapter — both personally and artistically. As he prepares for his wedding next week, his new album, “The Hang, The Hustle, The Path,” continues its ascent up the jazz charts, reaching No. 19 on JazzWeek and breaking into the Top 10 on the North American College & Community Radio Chart. The CR McBride Music project is drawing new listeners with its unique fusion of bebop, swing, straight-ahead, and contemporary jazz with R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and Latin influences.
As a composer, producer, arranger, and alto saxophonist, McBride draws deeply from the global Black music tradition. The ten originals and two reimagined covers on his third album — the first installment of a planned trilogy — showcase his saxophone as a lyrical storyteller, illuminating the people, places, and experiences that have shaped his life.
Continuing the wedding motif, McBride’s “best men” on the album are his bandmates, The Whole Proof, Jon Thomas (piano, keyboards, organ), Barry Stephenson (acoustic and electric bass), and Michael Piolet (drums). The extended ensemble includes trumpeters Josh Evans and Wayne Tucker, guitarist Marcus Machado, and vocalists Charles Turner and J. Hoard. The album was recorded over three days in a Brooklyn studio.
“Every original song on this record was inspired by a person, place, or moment in my life. This album is a complete reflection of my path so far. As I enter this new phase by getting married, I’m certain it will shape the next album in the trilogy,” said McBride, who recorded a version of Sade’s “Kiss of Life” as his original “A Downpour Of Beauty” in honor of his fiancée.
After the release of the “The Hang, The Hustle, The Path,” McBride launched a four-city tour through his hometown of Chicago followed by Los Angeles, Atlanta, and his longtime home of New York City. Audiences packed each venue as McBride and the band introduced the new material. In addition to performing, McBride — a dedicated educator — led workshops at high schools and colleges.
The album’s first video, “Saxophone at Night,” has earned more than eleven thousand views on YouTube. The clip captures McBride’s charismatic presence and his distinctive jazz aesthetic. The song and video nod to an era when musicians and dancers collaborated freely in nightclubs — a practice disrupted by the 1944–1965 U.S. federal tax on venues that hosted dancing. The video is available on YouTube, TikTok, X, and Instagram.
McBride will end the year and ring in the New Year at the Blue Note Hawaii where he will be accompanying iconic rapper Big Daddy Kane on December 30 and 31. He’ll be back with The Whole Proof for shows at The Jazz Club at Aman in New York City on January 14 and February 13. The group will play The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyne, CT on February 6 and will headline a weekend at Smalls Jazz Club in New York City on February 27 and 28. Additional concert dates will be announced.
For more information, visit www.crmcbridemusic.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment