Christopher McBride

Saxophonist Christopher McBride is based in New York City. His work includes education, arranging and composition in addition to performance. He has been slowly but steadily turning heads with his ubiquitous work as an invaluable sideman since the mid-2000’s. Now Christopher is gaining respect amongst fans, critics, and his peers as one of the most versatile saxophonists in the world. His 2012 debut album Quatuor de Force certainly establishes his ability to front a group and write his own soulful, melodically indelible tunes. Applauded for his ability to play in all musical situations, McBride has the ability to unleash a fiery attack and serrated tone, but on his first album he explores a more measured, mellow sound heavily influenced by contemporary R&B—with a strong shot of Cannonball Adderley’s post-bop sensuality—but his improvising is very rigorous and cogent. As a composer, McBride was selected as the 2022 Make Jazz Fellowship artist at The 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, California.

Born in Chicago, and starting his professional career there in 2007, Christopher made the move to NYC in 2013. His group,The Whole Proof, has played venues all over New York. Christopher ran his  ‘Singer Meets Saxophonist’ series at the famed Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem from 2017-2019. The musicians he has performed with over the years span many genres sharing the stage with Billy Preston, Percy Gray, Roy Hargrove, Pete Rock, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Guy Sebastian, Solange, Ne-Yo, Jennifer Hudson, Alice Smith, Brandon Flowers, Lea DeLaria, 88 Keys, Milton Mustafa, Winard Harper, and the Marquis Hill’s Blacktet. 

As a recording artist, McBride’s February 2023 release ‘Ramon’ made the Top 25 on the JazzWeek Charts and stayed on the charts for 14 weeks as well as making the JazzWeek Top 100 albums for 2023. The sophomore release has received critical acclaim. All About Jazz called the album “a sonic marvel that showcases a robust grasp of bebop and contemporary jazz idioms.” As a performing artist he has received a Grammy certificate for his work as a collaborator/soloist on Steven Feifke and Bijon Watson’s 2022 album “Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.”

As an educator, McBride has served as the Director of Education for the Second Line Arts Collective, a non-for-profit organization based out of New Orleans. His primary duties included writing curriculum for the Little Stompers division and teacher development. He also teaches for Jazz at Lincoln Center regularly, as well as touring nationally with various educational programs.

As a journalist and consultant, McBride has worked with Forbes Ignite, the innovation coalition of Forbes.

The Whole Proof

Christopher McBride & The Whole Proof is a jazz experience that explores the African American landscape. The Whole Proof’s features original jazz compositions written by the leader along with other members of the band. These original compositions written by McBride fit his listening ear when it comes to music: a wide variety of genres. Multiple genres are infused throughout the music: Influences from the African diaspora, R&B, Hip-Hop, Gospel, Latin Music and soul while having a strong rooting in ‘straight-ahead’ swing to create a ‘feel good’ concoction that keeps people dancing in (and sometimes out of) their seats.

The Whole Proof has been in existence five years. This ensemble started off as Quatuor de Force in Chicago back in 2012. When Christopher moved to New York in 2013 he decided to change the name of the group to add performers at his discretion and also experiment with different sounds and colors.

The Whole Proof’s mission is to create stories for the audience by verbally expressing my feelings behind each composition. The Whole Proof’s long-term vision is reach more people through recording, touring and educational outreach.

Singer Meets Saxophonist

'Singer Meets Saxophonist' is the brainchild of saxophonist Christopher McBride, in which some of the top vocalists and musicians in New York collaborate for fantastic evenings of music. When Christopher arrived to New York in 2013, he wanted to work with more vocalists and create a rapport, as well as learn their repertoire. In 2014, the monthly series was started at Therapy Wine Bar in Brooklyn. In the 18 months that followed, Christopher got the chance to work with vocalists such as Chris Turner, Emily Braden, Milton Suggs, Melanie Charles, Shenel Johns, Wayne Tucker, Hilary Gardner, Antoinette Montague and other well-known vocalists and instrumentalists who made a point to stop by. These musicians helped craft a vibe similar to a jam session, much to the delight of the audience.

At Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, the Sunday night series features a vocalist hosted by CNOTE (Christopher McBride, Jonathan Edward Thomas and Curtis Nowosad), an organ trio that has fantastic chemistry and played twice a week in the East Village for over a year.

Since March of 2017, Sunday nights at Minton‘s Playhouse has turned into the place to hear great live music weekly. The New York Times has described the house band (Organ Group CNOTENYC) as ‘part of a network of fabulous young musicians in New York’. The rapport and sincerity of all the musicians creates inspiring works appreciated by musician and patron alike. 'Singer Meets Saxophonist' hopefully will be a staple in New York City for years to come.

#CNOTENYC

CNOTE NYC is an NYC-based organ trio known for its electrifying performances, which mix the genres of jazz, R&B, rock, funk and fusion with ease, technicality and musical precision. Formed in 2015, the group—made up of saxophonist Christopher McBride, organist Jon Thomas and drummer Curtis Nowosad—has an engaging chemistry that was honed at long-running regular gigs in Bed-Stuy, the East Village and a weekly residency at the legendary Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem that ran for 2 1/2 years. The weekly curated series, entitled Singer Meets Saxophonist—McBride’s brainchild—featured a different vocalist each week, hand-picked from NYC’s pool of world-class vocalists, such as: Brianna Thomas, Tahira Clayton, Charles Turner, Emily Braden, and so many others. The trio and vocalist would collaborate to craft a unique and unforgettable evening of music, which—without fail—would always be augmented by special guest vocalists and instrumentalists popping in to Minton’s to check out the music and join in. Singer Meets Saxophonist—which received a glowing review in the New York Times Style Guide—encompasses all the best aspects of a concert with the excitement and fellowship of a jam session, creating a a vibe that is engaging, inspiring and above all, fun. The audience is as much a part of the show as the musicians, and together that rapport and sincerity creates inspiring works of art that are appreciated by musician and listener alike.