It’s no secret that Philadelphia native, drummer, and composer Christian McBride refuses to be enveloped in some tiny category. After all, the great composer and pianist Duke Ellington noted “there’s good music and bad music” — that’s it. Hitting closer to his Philly roots, the O’Jays sang, “I love music/any kind of music just as long as it’s grooving.”
In his career spanning over two decades, and still rising like a stratospheric comet, McBride has led several groups, including Inside Straight, a trio; his 18-piece big band and the experimental funk group A Christian McBride Situation; the New Jawn; and, most recently in 2022, Ursa Major.
Ursa Major, his primary band, swings into the Blue Note (131 West 3rd Street) on July 23–26. “I call Ursa Major a “hybrid” band — straight-ahead, avant-garde, funk, fusion, acoustic, electric, all wrapped up into one sound,” said McBride. “We are going to be previewing the music from our upcoming album on Mack Avenue Records called ‘Points of Light,’ which will be released in October.”
His recent album “Christian McBride Big Band: Without Further Ado, Vol. 1” (Mack Avenue, 2025) captured the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, which marked the fourth Grammy win for his big band recordings and his 11th Grammy overall. The album featured a glittering lineup of guest vocalists, including Sting, Andy Summers, Jeffrey Osborne, Samara Joy, José James, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dianne Reeves, and Antoinette Henry.
McBride, who proudly shares his love for the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, has appeared on more than 400 recordings as a sideman, and has performed and recorded with such royalty as Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Roy Haynes, Joe Henderson, George Duke, Eddie Palmieri, Sting, Queen Latifah, Celine Dion, James Brown, Kathleen Battle, The Roots, and Ray Brown.
For this Blue Note outing, McBride will lead Ursa Major — four rising young instrumentalists: saxophonist Nicole Glover, guitarist Ely Perlman, pianist Mike King, and drummer Savannah Harris. For reservations, visit bluenotejazz.com.
Jazz in July: Echoes of Miles at 92NY (formerly 92nd Street Y) blazes on July 23, celebrating the centennials of Miles Davis and John Coltrane and featuring NEA Jazz Master Terence Blanchard and his E-Collective, along with the brilliant Ravi Coltrane.
Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective began as a project in the early 2010s. They came out with all instruments smoking during a memorable performance in Cuba some years ago, taking the international audience into a realm of jazz they had never experienced. E-Collective’s debut album “Breathless” in 2015 featured a full ensemble of Blanchard on trumpet and keyboards, Charles Altura on guitar, Fabian Almazan on piano and synthesizers, Oscar Seaton on drums, and David “DJ” Ginyard on bass. This unit continues to swing in the trenches, acknowledging social and political issues.
Years ago, I witnessed saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane at the old Iridium, then located across from Lincoln Center on 64th Street. The drummer was Jeff “Tain” Watts. Tain was the fuel and Ravi was working it out. Since that time, at least 30 years have passed by, and Ravi has distinguished himself as one of the most important artists of his generation.
Ravi is soft-spoken and doesn’t say a lot similar to his father, but when he picks up that saxophone, look out, people — you will definitely hear his keys. He’s been mentored by such notables as Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette, Wallace Roney, Joanne Brackeen, and Steve Coleman. Ravi has blended the movements of avant gardism into a jazz sound that represents his own unique voice. As the son of icons John and Alice Coltrane, he is solidifying his family legacy while moving the music forward. This evening is most important for Ravi as he celebrates his father’s centennial, playing his treasured music in a new context with inspiration from his mom.
What more can be said about NEA Jazz Master bassist, composer, and innovator Ron Carter? If you research “acoustic bass” in Webster’s dictionary, there will probably be a photo of Carter. His more than 2,500 studio recording sessions earned him the title of the most recorded bassist in history. Oh, yes — and he was a member of Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams.
On July 25, the maestro with the influence of Miles graces the halls of 92NY with his revered group Foursight, featuring master musicians saxophonist Jimmy Greene, pianist Renee Rosnes, and drummer Payton Crossley. The evening will be a night to remember: magical, emotional, radiant, with spirited echoes of Miles and improvisational subtleties.
For tickets, visit 92ny.org.
Jazz is the fabric of Harlem, a piece of Black American Music that is rooted deep in the cultural history of Harlem, swinging and shoutin’ loud. The nonprofit organization Jazz Boxx has presented the most invigorating elements of jazz for more than 15 years, not just in the pocket music, but those bent notes, fragmented phrasings that rocket beyond the moon’s shadow. Every week, Thursday–Saturday, Jazz Boxx presents rousing talent to the Harlem community — some names not readily known and others who helped create the artform.
On July 24, AACM master percussionist Reggie Nicholason performs. His fearless rhythmic vision has powered the adventurous music of Amina Claudine Myers, Henry Threadgill, Charles Gayle, Leroy Jenkins, Don Pullen, and Ernest Dawkins.
On July 31, alto saxophonist and composer Jordan Young takes the stage. He’s loaned his sound to such established artists as Wallace Roney, Antoine Roney, Nia Love, Craig Harris, Nasheet Waits, and DJ Logic. He brings fire and deep swing to every performance.
All music is at Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church (16 Mount Morris Park West), 7 p.m. For more information, visit harlemjazzboxx.com.
Baltimore was a major regional jazz hub during the early 20th century, making it a significant East Coast stop on the chittlin’ circuit. It was the city where Eubie Blake was born, and that Billie Holiday and Chick Webb once called home. Floyd Bartz, father of NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz, owned a popular jazz club called the North End Lounge. The town is still jumping with Keystone Korner Baltimore. The owner of Keystone, NEA Jazz Master Todd Barkan, re-established his Keystone Korner from San Francisco to Baltimore in 2019. The club has drawn some of the most significant jazz and R&B artists on the scene, carrying on the city’s music legacy.
On July 26, NEA Jazz Master, Grammy Award-winner, saxophonist, and composer Branford Marsalis’s Quartet appears at Keystone Korner (1350 Lancaster Street, Baltimore, MD). Two shows at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. His tight-knit band includes pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist Barry Stephenson, and drummer Justin Faulkner.
Marsalis formed his first quartet in 1986 with pianist Kenny Kirkland, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, and bass player Robert Hurst. His musical journey has crossed many fences, from stints with Sting, the Grateful Dead, major symphonic orchestras, and film scores such as “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In 1988, Marsalis co-starred in the Spike Lee film “School Daze.” In Lee’s 1990 film “Mo’ Better Blues,” he played the tenor saxophone for Wesley Snipes’s character and appeared on the film’s soundtrack. Two years later, he became the leader of the Tonight Show Band on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He then formed the soul group Buckshot LeForque (Sony Music, 1994) that roared with hip hop, rock elements, funk, and spoken word. Baltimore jazz is in a new era and Marsalis is the wind in its jazz sail.
For more info, visit keystonekornerbaltimore.com.
