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Christian McBride curates Winterfest concerts at St. Cecilia Music Center

Christian McBride
Wikimedia Commons
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Wikimedia Commons
Christian McBride

Christian McBride curates Winterfest jazz concerts at St. Cecilia Music Center

St. Cecilia Music Center presents Winterfest, curated by bassist Christian McBride. Christian performs with virtuoso bassist Edgar Meyer on Thursday, Feb. 24th. Friday Feb. 25th, it's singer Cyrille Aimee, with the Christian McBride Trio. And on Saturday it's Christian McBride and Inside Straight, featuring saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibes player Warren Wolf, pianist Peter Martin and drummer Carl Allen. Each concert is at 7:30pm. WGVU spoke with Christian McBride about Winterfest. Here is the first in a two part series.


Full Transcript:

WGVU: Bass player Christian McBride has curated Winterfest for St. Cecilia Music Center Thursday through Saturday,
February 24th through the 26th. Thursday Christian performs bass duets with Edgar Meyer, on Friday
it's singer Cyrille Aimee with the Christian McBride trio.
And then on Saturday it's Christian McBride and Inside Straight.
Edgar Meyer has recorded with Christian, but they have not yet released the album.
I spoke with Christian McBride by phone and I asked him about Edgar Meyer...

Christian McBride: I think of him as Jordan, I really do think of him as sort of a Michael Jordan level master of the bass.
He has such a perfect sound, perfect technique. He excels at playing not just classical music, but he's also great composer of a
hybrid styles of part modern classical, part bluegrass, part blues.
It's really amazing all that he can play on on the double bass.
It's a joy and a challenge to stand next to him.

WGVU: How do you guys navigate a concert of material playing the same instrument?

McBride: Well, the same way two piano players or two guitar players would, you work it out, you know.
We're not both playing bass parts simultaneously, one's playing the melody, one's
playing the bass part, and points in between.
So it's not that hard to figure

WGVU: Are you guys planning on making a record at some point.

McBride: Yeah, we were, I would say, 7/8th done with our recording right before the pandemic hit.
We only had about two songs left to record. Inside the last, you know, 19 months now...we haven't been able to get back together to finish it, but
we're inches away from the finish line.
I don't know if we're going to have a chance to finish up before the
Grand Rapids concert, but at some point, I assume, in 2022 that record will finally be done and released.

WGVU: You're also going to be performing with singer Cyrille Aimee, with your trio. Who are the members of the trio this time around?

McBride: Peter Martin is playing piano, and he also plays with my group Inside Straight. Cyrille is bringing her guitarist, I can't remember which
of her two guitar players it is...yes, it is going to be a fun night. I'm hoping we can get together and work some things out, because I've worked
with Cyrille many times in the past, and it's always been sort of these incredible impromtu moments, because she's fearless. She's one of the few
vocalists I've ever seen, she's unintimidated by instrumentalists. She'll get on stage with people like the late Roy Hargrove.
You know, you just didn't do that with Roy unless you were ready, you know.
I've seen her sing straight ahead, and like Edgar I've seen her do a sort of hybrid of pop, soul, jazz...gypsy music, some would say euro pop. Whatever it is, it's a really interesting
hybrid of of styles. But most of all, it's her skill, because she's got great ears. But she's also fearless, so whatever we do, it's gonna be good.
She's also feels so whatever we do, it's going to be good.

WGVU: Christian McBride is curating Winterfest at Saint Cecilia Music Center, Thursday February 24th through Saturday 26th, each concert at 7:30pm.