Home » Jazz Articles » Christopher McBride
Jazz Articles about Christopher McBride
About Christopher McBride
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
Danny Jonokuchi Big Band: A Decade
by Jack Bowers
For trumpeter, vocalist and bandleader Danny Jonokuchi, the path to success--in music and in life--has never been smooth or trouble-free. Born with a congenital lung disease, Jonokuchi needed life-saving surgery while in high school to treat a collapsed lung, which caused him to put his trumpet playing aside, at least temporarily. Years later, and almost a continent away from his native Los Angeles, Jonokuchi was viciously attacked in south Philadelphia, resulting in traumatic injuries to his mouth and embouchure. This ...
Continue ReadingDanny Jonokuchi: A Decade
by Pierre Giroux
A Decade is arranger-composer, trumpeter and vocalist Danny Jonokuchi's celebration of personal and musical evolution, encapsulating his growth over the last ten years as a musician and leader of his big band. The album draws on jazz's rich traditions while also serving as a reflection of the enduring spirit of the genre. The release features compositions that outline the signature flourish of Jonokuchi's writing, standing as a testament to his ability to overcome personal obstacles. The ...
Continue ReadingChristopher McBride: Ramon
by Geannine Reid
Jazz is a conversation that has been going on for over a century. Each musician adds their own statement to the discourse, and one of the most exciting aspects of engaging with jazz is the opportunity to witness and appreciate the various voices that emerge and contribute to this ongoing dialogue. Here is one such profound contribution, a riveting piece of art by the multi-faceted saxophonist and composer Christopher McBride with his sophomore album, Ramon. McBride brilliantly straddles the territories ...
Continue ReadingSteven Feifke: The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra
by Angelo Leonardi
Metti assieme un talentoso giovane orchestratore come Steven Feifke, un trombettista di prima grandezza come Bijon Watson e una big band con grandi nomi e prestigiosi ospiti e il risultato è scontato. Il debutto della Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra è stato propiziato dalla collaborazione col Jazz Education Network ed ha assunto le vesti di un album includendo in organico ospiti di rilievo come Kurt Elling, Sean Jones e Chad Lefkowitz Brown. Il principale riferimento è la tradizione ...
Continue ReadingJon Faddis, Mike Allen & Christopher McBride
by Joe Dimino
We kick off the 797th Episode of Neon Jazz with Chicago-born, Harlem-based saxophonist Christopher McBride with music from his 2023 album Ramon. From there, we hear from one of the first shows McBride ever witnessed in James Moody. We also hear some very talented cats in Gregory Groover Jr., Tomer Cohen and Mike Allen. Vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway covers the Peggy Lee, as well. Finally, we say good-bye to vocalist Bobby Caldwell. Dig the jazz, my friends.Playlist Christopher ...
Continue ReadingGeneration Gap Jazz Orchestra: The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra
by Jack Bowers
The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra, co-led by pianist/composer Steven Feifke and trumpeter par excellence Bijon Watson, is a seventeen-member ensemble comprising seasoned players paired with young lions who are poised to capture pride of place. Nowhere do the leaders say who is in which group, and it would be impolitic to name them here. Suffice to say that some of the names may be more familiar than others--as, for example, trombonist John Fedchock who cut his teeth with one of ...
Continue Reading
