On Thursday, November 16,
St. Cecilia’s Music Center kicks off their 2017/18 Encore Jazz Series with bassist, composer, and educator but also DJ, and artistic director for the Newport Jazz Festival, the talented Christian McBride.
From the many activities listed on McBride’s impressive resume, it is clear that this teen prodigy jazz musician, born in 1972, never slows down, besting each triumph with his ever soaring heights of accomplishments.
He has worked with jazz greats like Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Pat Metheny but also accompanied many pop giants, too, like James Brown, Sting, and The Roots.
He is heralded as one of the most recorded musicians of his generation, having appeared solo as well as a guest artists on more than 300 recordings. For his drive and excellence in all he has done musically, he has been awarded five Grammy awards.
He even has ties to Michigan. Since 2009, this Philly native has been with Detroit’s prestigious jazz label Mack Avenue.
The Encore Jazz Series at St. Cecilia’s, which includes upcoming visiting artists Brad Mehldau on November 30, Gregory Porter on February 22, 2018, and Kurt Elling ending the 2017-18 series on March 22, 2018, is off to a triumphant start with McBride stop here to support his latest release “Bringin’ It.”
This new release is McBride’s second time leading a big band orchestra through a collection of his own works as well as classics like “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning” and “Mr. Bojangles.”
While you have a lot of entertainment options to consider, McBride’s stop in Grand Rapids at such a small, intimate, and acoustically perfect venue makes this jazz concert from McBride, a true jazz legend in the making, our top choice for those seeking a truly inspirational music concert experience.
Tickets are available at the center's
website.