Christian McBride Big Band

A 17-piece big band led by bassist Christian McBride brings together swinging jazz, funk, soul and orchestral arrangements at the Adrienne Arsht Center. The concert takes place Thursday, May 6, closing the 2026-27 Jazz Roots Series. The program will draw from the ensemble’s four recordings, including standards, McBride originals and music from Without Further Ado, Vol. 1. Released in 2025, Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 pairs the Christian McBride Big Band with guest vocalists from jazz, rock, R&B and soul on interpretations of songs by Cole Porter, Carole King, The Police and others. The recording earned McBride his fourth Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. An 11-time Grammy winner, McBride has spent more than three decades working as a bassist, composer, arranger and bandleader across straight-ahead and experimental jazz, Latin music, hip-hop and rhythm and blues. His many ensembles include Inside Straight, New Jawn, Ursa Major and the Christian McBride Trio, reflecting a career shaped by both jazz tradition and broad musical curiosity.