Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau and Marcus Gilmore Make Magic
By all accounts it was a stunning night: 80 minutes of pure jazz artistry from three Grammy winners. Bassist Christian McBride, pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Marcus Gilmore convened April 13 before a sold-out house at The Gilmore in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to perform mostly Mehldau originals plus covers, the results of which can be seen below.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Mehldau, McBride and Gilmore to bring their new trio to audiences worldwide, to enjoy from the comfort of their homes,” explained Dr. Pierre van der Westhuizen, Executive and Artistic Director of The Gilmore. “This exclusive video captures rare live footage of the talented threesome’s Michigan debut.”
McBride, from Montclair, Essex County, one of the bright lights in The Jersey Sound documentary, has been called “one of the premiere musicians of his generation,” by downbeat magazine. His nine Grammy Awards may be impressive but it’s his dedication to his craft in mastering jazz, funk, soul, Latin, hip-hop, R’n’B and fusion that truly make him one-of-a-kind. His two bands—Inside Straight and The Christian McBride Big Band—both swing ferociously with the former going the adventurous post-bop route and the latter reviving the art of “The Great American Songbook.” He is Artistic Director of the Newport Jazz Festival, Creative Chair for Jazz with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Jazz Advisor for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), and hosts National Public Radio’s Jazz Night in America. His upcoming new album—Without Further Ado—reunites Sting and Andy Summers playing together for the first time since The Police reunion tour 17 years ago.