The musical importance of the bass is to provide harmonic foundation to the ensemble. Various stories have been told as to how the instrument became as popularized without the bow, i.e., slap bass, the truth is we really don't know who invented it. While many make claim to the famed invention (Chester Zardis, Pops Foster, Bill Johnson, Wellman Braud), we can only presume that it was probably created out of sheer accident by some fellow whose name will never go down in the history books.

Pizzicato, a the term used when one plays the bass by plucking the strings is a rich and colorful art form and was popularized by bassists: Jimmy Blanton who recorded with Duke Ellington and was one of the most acclaimed jazz bassists on the scene. (Blanton who died of lung cancer at the tender age of twenty three is known for revolutionizing the bass and making it the solo instrument of extreme importance.); Oscar Pettiford who played with Dizzy Gillespie became Ellington's second bassist after the death of Blanton. The late great Charles Mingus who played traditional jazz with Louis Armstrong , Kid Ory, Lionel Hampton, etc.; Ray Brown, a modern bassist, who also recorded with Dizzy in the forties and who was for years a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio.

Have you ever stopped to think where music would be without the bass or without some of these other noteworthy bassists (including the upright, sousaphone and electric): Percy Heath, Jimmy Garrison, Stanley Clarke, Richard Davis, Walter Payton, Richard Payne, Charlie Haden, Jaco Pastorius, Tuba Fats, Louis Keper, Wilbert Tillman, Julius McKee and Roland Guerin? A great deal of history would be lost.

In our midst is an instrumentalist, a young lion who is also a history maker. He has earned an irrefutable reputation for his illustrious performance as a bass player. He stands out from his colleagues for his free solo excursions, conventional harmonies with connection and structure, a spiritual fever of collectiveness and expressiveness. That bassist is Christian McBride, the musician's musician.

"Time" heralded him as "the most promising and versatile bassist since Charles Mingus." Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "He already sounds like no other bassist of his generation, his seemingly nonchalant virtuosity counterbalanced by the deep maturity and self-assuredness of his playing... McBride also has one of the most fined-tuned young band(s) in jazz today."

Further testimony is delivered by Jazz at the Lincoln Center who commissioned him to compose "Blues in Alphabet City," a full-scale work performed by Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, featuring McBride as a special guest.

McBride who began playing the bass at eight attended the Julliard School of Music in Manhattan and is soon to release "A Family Affair," his third recording on Verve Records. This umbrella contains a diverse collection of recordings composed of five original tunes and documents the bass man's first recorded lyrics to date which are performed by the sultry and soulful vocalists, Will Downing and Vesta.

McBride's knowledge for the bass have surpassed him only by his respect for it. Earlier this year he taught master classes at the Berklee College of Music. "I try to teach the necessities of a bass player. I start off explaining the most basic things about playing the bass. What the role of the bass is in a band, How to develop a good sound, and Harmony. Harmony and theory are crucial things for a bass player to learn," stated McBride.

In between performances at jazz festivals I talked with the jazz lion from his New York den and we improvised on his vastness as a musician. But before we go into the interview, I like to refer to 1993 liner notes written by Alan Leeds on "Prince, The Hits 1."

"... what's in a name? Media hype? Good old-fashioned marketing? Pop iconoclasm for the sake of publicity? Perhaps. Sometimes. But in this case the name is MUSIC. Music of all kinds, and lots of it. Did somebody say dance music, music, sex, romance? Rock and roll, catchy pop songs, hyper club anthems, intoxicating ballads, jazzy funk, film scores, cartoon heroes, bawdy lust, visionary poetry with messages both hidden and blatant... more than a name, more than a singer, musician, band leader, producer, composer, lyricist, director or actor. We may as well face it, no matter where we were, what we did and what we thought, as we reflect on the past 15 years, there's a six-letter word that doesn't name a human being as much as it defines a sub-genre of our culture. For where else could so many layers or art assemble so cohesively while retaining a singular identity and influence but under the heading PRINCE."

Extraordinary people do extraordinary things when they push and are pushed. In "A Family Affair," produced by George Duke, McBride puts a fresh spin on music appreciation as the instrumentalist heightens his own musical boundaries.

TC: Tell us about the Super Bass. What is that?

Christian: Super Bass. That was a group that the legendary Ray Brown put together and John Clayton who was probably better known as an arranger. He worked with Quincy Jones a lot on Q's Juke Joint and wrote a lot of arrangements on Natalie Cole's last couple of albums. Probably his most popular arrangement is the "Star Spangled Banner" which Whitney Houston sang at the Super Bowl a couple of years ago.

TC: I remember that.

Christian: He's a well established arranger. He's also one of the world's greatest bass player's too. John and Ray have actually been playing together for about the last twenty years because John Clayton was a student of Ray Brown's at UCLA back at the early 70's. So, when Ray Brown called me six years ago... maybe seven years now and said that he wanted to put together a "Super Bass" with me and John I was so honored that he asked me to be a part of the group. But, at the same time I knew that he and John had had a thing for the last twenty years and I felt like I was just going to be a third wheel.

TC: Wow.

Christian: I said, "man, you don't need me in there." And he said, "Oh yes we do!"

TC: So what did you bring to it? A lot of energy?

Christian: Well, I think that I brought some of that.... You know Ray Brown is one of the few musicians of his era who likes to look for new things. You know a lot of musicians when they get towards their 70's they have seen and done it all. So, a lot of them have their focus and their focus is that's it. I don't need to hear nothing else. I know what the hip stuff is. I don't need you young boys showing me what's hip. But, Ray Brown is one of those few musicians like Miles Davis of his generation always looking for new young blood to kind of keeps him on his toes. So, I think I brought some of that to the superbass.

TC: Besides those two who are some of your favorite bassists?

Christian: Oh-gosh. Ron Carter. The late great Paul Chambers. Oscar Pettiford, Jimmy Blanton, Dave Holland. And then when you get to your electric basses Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins. Those two in particular.

TC: What about sousaphones and tubas? Are you into that?

Christian: You know I never had a chance to get really into tuba that much. It's the mother of bass in bands. Before the string bass was used as an instrument to play in jazz bands it was the tuba.

TC: Right. Well you know in New Orleans we have the tubas being played in the brass bands.

Christian: Oh yeah. Oh, I am totally hip. I love the tuba. I just never gotten into it too deep. But, it is a funky instrument.

TC: Yeah. You're really funky on your bass, too. I was checking out some of your recordings and it's really slick and hip what you are doing. Your sound is really polished and yet you are very versatile. One of my favorite songs on your new c.d. is "I'm Coming Home." That is so New Orleans. I was like, here is our Mardi Gras tune this year. Thanks!

Christian: Yeah, it definitely got that feeling on it, huh?

TC: Oh yeah. And then I started reading the liner notes and you said that the spirit carried out was like what takes place at a backyard barbecue. And I was like, no man, this sounds like a Mardi Gras party in New Orleans.

Christian: Well, you know. We are "Northerners."

TC: But, you just come out so hard and it's layered with so much funk and rhythm. I was like, damn! You really surprised me with that one. Were you happy with the way the project worked out?

Christian: Oh yes, totally. Totally happy.

TC: Is that an original composition?

Christian: No actually that song "I'm Coming Home" was a song that the Spinners made popular. Linda Creed and Tom Bell wrote that song and performed it live on the Muhammad Ali documentary, "When We Were Kings."

TC: Who's working with you on that one?

Christian: Just my band. (Tim Warfield tenor sax; Charles Craig piano; Gregory Hutchinson drums; and Christian McBride, bass.)

TC: That's pretty deep. I was thoroughly impressed on that piece. Were you playing the fretless?

Christian: No, I played acoustic on that. That's one of those songs where I wanted that real acoustic funk. (he chuckled)

TC: You got it. You got it. I was like if that's how you sound when you're coming home I'd like to see what you do when you get there. That is really nice. So, what are some of your favorite tunes on this new c.d.?

Christian: I was really pleased with the whole c.d. because of its diversity. Each track has it's own thing.

Some of my favorites are "Wayne's World," "Brown Funk, (for Ray)," and "Open Sesame," the old Kool and the Gang tune.

TC: So, you're not afraid the critics are going to oust you because you are stepping far away from the traditional and conventional?

Christian: No. No. No.

TC: You're not. You don't care?

Christian: I don't care one bit.

TC: Why? Are you happy doing you're own thing?

Christian: Yeah. One of the reasons why I did this record in the first place is because that it amazes me to a certain extent how a lot of critics have said, "Oh well, you know Christian McBride is the real traditional kind of guy. He's coming out with Ray Brown and the old acoustic kind of guys."

No matter how many diverse projects I have done I still can't get away being this young staunch traditionalist.

TC: I think you just broke it. They are going to have to face reality now. So, what was it like working with Will (Downing) and Vesta?

Christian: Oh, it was so great.

TC: How did that come about?

Christian: Well, I wrote lyrics for the song Will sang: "A Dream of You." We did the c.d. in Los Angeles. And when I got to Los Angeles to hang out with George. We hung out for about a week or two even before we recorded the c.d.. And I was playing the song. He said, "Well what vocalists do you have in mind?"

And when I played him "A Dream of You" I said man it's got to be somebody with a real smooth deep voice. And at that instant it look like something that came out of a cartoon. We both looked at each other, light bulbs popped over our heads, and we both said simultaneously, "Will Downing!"

TC: It's real funny Will has such a magnitude that attracts male and female, so everybody is going to want to hear it. What other instruments do you play well besides the bass and piano?

Christian: None, well to play in person, he laughed. Well, I play a little bit of the drums. Piano, bass and drums.

TC: Who initially inspired your creativity?

Christian: My dad was my first inspiration. He was more of an inspiration moreso than the "teacher" because my dad was on the road all of the time.

TC: And, who was he playing with?

Christian: Oh gosh, when I first started getting interested he was on the road with Mongo Santa Maria. So, he was on the Latin Jazz thing.

TC: That's deep. Are you going off into that?

Christian: Not yet. You know that's such a strong entity because Latin jazz has such a rich tradition. I would feel like that if I didn't fully respect it to it's fullest extent by learning the language of the music and learning the right terminology for the different rhythms, beats and so forth. I feel like I would be doing that music a great injustice. So, I want to take some time and really study that music.

TC: Well said. And before Mongo Santa Maria who else did he play with?

Christian: Well, before he played with Mongo he was playing with the a lot of the old Philly Soul groups. He was playing with Blue Magic, Major Harris, Billy Paul, the Delfonics. Those were his most popular gigs.

TC: Was music in his family?

Christian: No. My dad (Lee Smith) pretty much was the only one in his family who played an instrument.

TC: What does he play?

Christian: Bass

TC: And then were saying you were a kid and you were playing the bass?

Christian: Yeah, I started when I was eight. What is ironic about it is that I did not grow up with my dad. He and my mother never married. My dad was always on the road doing whatever, so I did not really see him that often. But, when I did see him it was enough inspiration for me to want to play the bass.

So, I told my mother that I felt like I wanted to play the bass. You know, when you are eight years old your mother would say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah I'll get you the bass." So, my mother went to this pawn shop. You know, my mother was in school at the time. She went back to college to finish her degree. So, she was in school all day and working at night. She went to this little pawn and bought me my first electric bass and that's the bass I played on for two or three years before I got to junior high school and started studying the acoustic bass as well as still playing the electric bass.

My first official lesson came when my dad came by the house after I got my first electric bass and he took me up in the room where my amp was. Oh, I'm sorry. Where my stereo turned amplifier was and he taught me how to play my first song which was "Papa Was A Rolling Stone."

I can remember at the time thinking oh-man I don't want to fall flat on my face. I was so nervous because here was my dad who I thought was the greatest bass player in the world and here I was just starting. But, when he taught me how to play that I remember thinking man this is easy. Teach me something else, show me something else, show me something else.

He said, what song do you want to learn how to play now? I picked some hard songs with some busy bass lines. He said, "No. You better pick something else."

TC: So you were always looking for a challenge.

Christian: Yeah, big time.

TC: Anybody else in your family any siblings who play?

Christian: No. I'm the only one. I'm the only child.

Another major influence in my family was my great uncle, Howard Cooper who played with the cutting edge, more avant-garde, musicians. He played with Sun Ra, Byard Lancaster, Odean Pope who was the saxophone player in Max Roach's band.

It was my great uncle who was responsible for getting me into jazz. When I first started playing bass I was listening more to R&B and pop and whatever was current at that time. And when I got to junior high school and started taking upright bass lessons I was playing classical music in school all day, but I was really interested in learning how to play jazz.

TC: Did you find playing classical music at that age to be boring?

Christian: No. Not at all. Actually, I really loved playing and still love playing classical music. I don't have an outlet in which to play it anymore because it is kind of hard to freelance as a classical bass player when I'm on the road doing my other thing all the time. But, at some point I would like to get around to playing classical music again.

When my great uncle found out that I wanted to learn how to play jazz, awe man, he just completely blew my mind. He taught me and gave me an appreciation for every period of jazz. I mean he would play me things from Louis Armstrong up to Coltrane from Count Basie to Ornette Coleman, so he made sure that I was aware of every era of jazz and not just one particularly era. So, my Great Uncle was one big influence.

TC: Do you have a particular preference of which bass you like to play?

Christian: I thought I did at one time, but now... Well, let me say this, no matter what instrument I play the acoustic bass is always the mother instrument.

I think any bass player who has never touched an acoustic bass or never attempted to play one they don't know what they are missing because that upright bass... just to hold that instrument against your body and play a note and feel "pluck" (he makes the sound) vibrate up against you. That is earth there. However, the electric bass is cool, too. I like doing both.

TC: What projects are you working on now?

Christian: Right now, I received a commission from an arts society in Maine and I'm going to write a huge piece of music for a gospel choir and my band.

TC: That's awesome.

Christian: That goes down this Winter in November. Gary Hines who is the vocal coach of "Sounds of Blackness" and I are going to work together on this project. So I'm going to get started on that project this Summer. Actually, any day now. The new c.d... comes out next month and once it's released, I'll be on the road pretty much with the band.

TC: That's interesting. I just checked out Jubilant Sykes' c.d. that Terence Blanchard arranged and produced and I was totally impressed.

Christian: Yeahhh! I heard him for the first time last month.

TC: Jubilant?

Christian: Yeah. That' s a baddd dude. He turned that... I mean people ... Oh-man!

TC: Some of those tunes almost had me in tears. It was that deep.

Christian: Yesss!!!

TC: It's not like I was in church. They took me beyond church.

Christian: Yes!

TC: That was so beautiful. I liked what they did.

Christian: Yes.

TC: I like the versatility that you guys are doing. You are not sticking within one mode.

Christian: You shouldn't. You really shouldn't do that.

TC: If you're great you really shouldn't have to do that. You can branch out and come back to it. Kind of develop yourself, you know.

Christian: Sure.

TC: Let's back up and talk about "No. 2 Express." You have quite an impressive line-up.

Christian: Even though I am very happy with the new c.d. because it represents where I am right now musically no matter what I do in the future "No. 2 Express" will always be special to me.

Like I said earlier I gained this reputation of being this real traditionalist. My first c.d. "Gettin To It" pretty much said... I am not sure why it is like this, but whatever your first statement is as a bandleader people kind of latch on to it and figure okay, that's who he is. That's what he does.

"Gettin To It" included quite a line up: Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redmen, Cyrus Chester all of my fellow young lions who are being recognized as traditionalists. So when that c.d. came out it was like, "Oh-yeah Christian McBride is upholding the traditional swing." You know that kind of thing.

When I did "No. 2 Express" I remember thinking, wow, I kind of wish that I did not have this traditionalist name tag on me because for this next c.d. I want to do something different. So, I got Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Garrett people who are not known as traditionalists whatsoever. People who are known for expanding their musical palettes. They are very broad.

When I did the record I was very happy with the result because I felt like I was pushing myself to really stretch musically, to get to somewhere else.

Believe me. I am not a person who believes in putting themselves on a pedestal. But, I believe in sounding your horn if you really feel you have something to say. I can't tell you a lot of artists in my generation who would even think about trying to get Chick Corea and Jack DeJohnette on a record they did because they'd think it was too much of a stretch. But, I don't think there is any such thing as too far of a stretch. That album "No. 2 Express" represents to me something special.

TC: Do you think there is anything beyond your reach because you are displaying quite a vastness, and quite well?

Christian: That's nice of you to say. I'd like to think that there is nothing beyond my reach.

TC: You mean you know because you have recorded over 100 different tunes. Is that right?

Christian: I have recorded on one hundred different artist's projects.

This is along the same lines as to why I am proud of "No. 2 Express." It represents something different like a stretch. Some diversity. I think the people that I've had the chance to record with and work with over the years represent diversity. I've had the chance to work with people like Betty Carter, Doc Cheatham and Hank Jones. I also had a chance to work with people like McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, David Sanborn, Pebo Bryson, Chaka (Kahn), Paula Cole, Bruce Hornsby, Kathleen Battle. People who have nothing to do with each other really that you would think.

I feel proud to go from someone like Bruce Hornsby to playing with someone like Kathleen Battle to playing with someone like Hank Jones or Tommy Flanagon. I've had a chance to work with some very different people.

TC: Thank you for the interview.

Christian: The pleasure was all mine. Thank you.

Copyright 1998 by Theresa Crushshon
Photo copyright 1998 Ronnie James