Open Studio is knocking it out of the park. Such an insightful interview with a master. Always love to hear Christian McBride.

What a hero to me. Lucky enough to have had some of that “hang” time with him and he is as great a person as he is a bassist. Thank you for this video! 🙏🏽

This has to be one of the absolute greatest things I’ve ever seen on KZfaq. I’ve been saying for years that Christian McBride, aside from his gargantuan musical contributions, could with his immense charisma, character and brain power be a unifying President of the United States. I know that sounds odd but it’s something I’ve thought about for years. Thank you Peter Martin and Open Studio for this great interview.

Wynton might have been the Eye of the Hurricane of the late 80's resurgence, but he also alienated more trumpet players and long time jazz listeners than any other musician in the history of jazz. I was a jazz student in college in the late 80's in NYC. Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Miles, Donald Byrd, Dizzy , Art Farmer, Eddie Henderson, Charles Tolliver, Don Cherry and more never went away and many were still in top form when the media appealed to the bougoise jazz listener with a young suit who was going on about the tradition while rejecting the musical escapades of those who wanted to play jazz over a contemporary beat. Pat Metheny was a sell out? They had closed minds. PERIOD. They weren't the enlightened that they purported to be and I'm glad Christian called it out. When I was studying jazz under Ron Carter up in Harlem, none of the jazz trumpet player were transcribing Wynton, Think of One or Black Codes because there was nothing new in the music that hadn't been done. Wyntons recording with VSOP is 100% Miles chromatic period with a clean modern sounds and expensive mouthpiece. How many jazz standards are in real book 1 to 4 written by Wynton? I really don't know but I bet none if one. Nobody argued he wasn't a highly proficient technical trumpet player with chops in jazz and classical., but there was no spit on the notes and it was coming from his head and we could all hear it. What did Chet Baker say, "if I could play like him, I wouldn't play like him" He came to our college to give a concert after his "Think of One" with Branford, Kenny Kirkland and his band at the time. They didn't move. Later at the workshop, which was filmed by Entertainment Tonight (I am not kidding)he said that Branford didn't move because he wasn't an entertainer. He was a serious musician. Of course, a couple of years later, when Hollywood recruited him and he went on tv, he was able to shake his bootie. They don't think anyone remembers. Or when I asked Wynton about Freddie and MIles work at that time, he says "they ain't playin' jazz" The concert he put on was opened by Ramsey Lewis and everyone tapped their feet to Sun Goddess. Crickets during Wynton's performance. Antiseptic. If he and his colleagues didn't talk so much crap about purity and swinging of the tradition, we wouldn't have cared. But dissing two of the most significant genius's on trumpet and writing off great song writers and musicians in other tradition is just...naive. Actually musically immature. And I think he got some of this from his pops. And the story that Wynton tells about him being po in New Orleans. His dad told me they had everything they needed. He had a middle class pops, a middle class education and he had a pretty Bach Trumpet that his parents bought him. He had no more business playing the blues then MIles did who said he grew up in an affluent family and he didn't know the blues. Of course, anybody can play the blues, but Wynton got caught up in a story that was in his head. The media put him on the map. He was handsome, articulate and he could play trumpet. The older musicians didn't put him on a pedestal. Like the video's going around that Joe Henderson talked bad about Michael Brecker because he was getting all the press and the kids were imitating him. That was the young musicians who were impressed with Breckers style. Not a young guy that entertainment tonight was filming. Wynton portrait this enlightened young man who was out to preserve the history of jazz and bring it to a new audience. All hail the savior of western civilization. Cum bye Ah... Let's build a brand new art center with all the frills and let's make our new spokesman for jazz , the director, and let's give him a band. They'll go back to the days of Dixieland, the plunger blues, Ellington in his prime and we will bring jazz back to it's deserving position of the original music of the land. I heard a story about a few of the living legends at a club in New York saying, "What we gonna do about this kid?" All the media had to do was put a camera and a microphone up at the stage when Freddie and Woody were touring "Double Take" I know they wore a suit. The legends were in town and everyone talking about a kid playing a sterilized version of a Monk Tune. Why? Because he's got good technique and he speaks pretty. I have nothing against Wynton. He's a serious guy and he's a nice guy and it wasn't his fault that jazz and entertainment put him in that position. He deserved whatever he earned. I don't have to listen to it or enjoy it, but I'm not gonna take anything away from the guy. He seemed to help alot of people. But his dogma and philosophy didn't help the music as much as people think. Because if it had, all those trumpet players I mentioned would have gained from it. But what that guy did to Christian with the Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby was peer pressure. If he would have went to play with Jerry Garcia, they indeed would have black balled him. I was like that when I was 18 years old. Jazz, jazz, jazz. But I was hearing EArth Wind Fire, Kool and the Gang and digging it. It's an entirely different mindset and getting a tune together in that tradition is a specialized skillset. Bottom line: IT moves people. It uplifts people and it's artistically authentic and valid. Jazz ain't the only tradition that incorporates swing. So does IRish Traditional music because of the influence of the hand drum which probably came from Africa. Straight 8ths and syncopated bass drum rhythms aren't a breach of the 10 commandments. In my years now, I've gone back and listened to all the folks I missed. Simon and Garfunkel. Incredible song writers. You think because you can play over rhythm changes at 300 bpm, you can write a melody and lyric that stands the test of time and fills the hearts of millions of people. NO. Why didn't anybody tell me to listen to Bob Dylan? I had to redo the Beatles. Because this purity mindset actually hinders creativity, open boundaries, cross pollination and innovation. They weren't doing anything new worthy of the history books except playing what the cats before them played and talking shit. I must have seen Freddie play live a dozen or more times. EWF 1/2 that and whenever Isley Brothers came to town. Good music is good music. Ok, I said it!! I hope I didn't soil your comment area. Hats off to Christian McBride...he did it. Everything. Well except one... play with Jerry Garcia. Most importantly, he played with King Freddie. That's all I needed to know. And by the way, those Columbia recordings where Freddie playing funk a dunk and disco, there is bad ass trumpet playing happening over it. And Freddie went right back to playing hard bop when the gigs came. Ask Wynton what he would do if he lost his residency at Lincoln Center and the booking agent all of a sudden had a shortage of gigs? At that time, r&B was part of our culture and jazz and r&B had alot of cross overs. R&B guys were using jazz and the jazz guys were playing R&B I think Wynton got older and wiser. I haven't listened to any of his speeches in 30 years but the little I have heard has alot less smack then when he was young. Again , no hard feelings against Wynton and some of his bandmates. But that's what went down under the media hype.

was lucky enough to see the Joshua Redman Quartet at the Barbican about 2 years ago. a mind blowing gig, probably the greatest band I've ever seen live and somehow with Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau and Brian Blade on the stage with him Christian McBride still managed to steal the show and pulled off one of the most technical, musical solos i have ever seen...ON A BASS! truly a living legend.

Thank you. Fabulous conversation with two great players and thoughtful artists. Listening to Christian talk about "the box" put me in mind of a simple quote someone said to me: "The more you love music, the more music you love". Don't know the original source but I'd heard it was a jazz player from the '50s.

One of my takeaways from this, is how humble Peter is. Adam always says it, others do too, Peter is right there as a contemporary great. But, he genuinely just doesn't put himself there. Peter, you are the man on the keys and keep me inspired to keep pushing on learning to play piano. Unfortunately , I have had to pause my Open Studio membership for a while. But, I love that you all still do the KZfaq stuff. Outside of that, brilliant podcast. Great interview. Do more of this!

This is a beautiful interview…a deep, funny, insightful, entertaining conversation between friends. Thanks for letting us listen in. I learned so much … 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

This is an incredible gift for the ages! Peter Martin has another top notch skill!!!

This is fantastic! Great interview. Love hearing Christian discussing how he moved through the peer pressure genre pigeonhole snobbery BS. Thanks for breaking down some barriers!

This is a fabulous interview. CM is the most humble and interesting musician to listen to, and as a result quite a few albums to investigate, and probably buy. Hopefully the first in a series of interviews?

Shout out to Montclair, NJ ! One of the hippest and most artistic towns around here. In fact, my buddy and I just did a duo jazz/rock gig at the Montclair Museum...

Open studio and Emmet's place is jazz for me, there isn't so much of a physical jazz scene in the UK like there is in america so lots of musicians aren't exposed to any of it like myself. Thanks to your content I've completely fallen in love with jazz over the last 2 years and infact I just bought my first double bass 2 weeks ago. Its my life goal to play on Emmet's place and meet all the great musicians that I look upto. I've got a long way to go and lots of Christian mcbride basslines to learn. Thank you!! My heroes

Thank you for this Interview!

Outstanding conversation! THANK YOU!

Great great interview ! You're really TOP at that Man !! Now, I'm very serious : you two guys have to do a duet album ! Think about that.

What a wonderful interview. Christian is such a warm, engaging and articulate conversationalist; I could listen to him talk all day, both just for the sound of his beautiful speaking voice as well as the wealth of history, humour and insight in the content of his conversation. And Peter’s interview technique was brilliant: asking great questions and leaving the space for Christian to answer them, whilst also engaging meaningfully with his responses. Thank you so much for this and all of the knowledge you (and Adam and the rest of your crew) share with us. This channel is a beacon.

Great, thought-provoking discussion! Enjoyed all that Christian shared. Thanks Peter and OS.

Incredible interview! Thank you!

Thank you for doing this Peter. Love Christian McBride, and so interesting to hear him talk about his journey. I am a big Open Studio and You'll Hear It fan, as an older guy re-learning piano.

more of this please. fantastic interview!

This interview is one for the books. Great interview! Thank you so much.

What a great interview. Christian has been and will remain one of my favorite musicians

Great interview - keep 'em coming, OS!

Great chat gentleman! Engaging, informative and inspiring! Thank you both for your "time" 🍻

Great conversation! Thank you. 🖖

thank you so much for that interview. As a young bassist, I know so much how it feels to be 'tag' in a certain category, even though I would love to play anything with great musicians.

Thank you for this!

This was great, thanks!

Great and inspiring interview!

What a beautiful interview!

What a great and honest interview Thanks Christian 🙏🙏 When I met you at the bleu not you said you know about me.. I couldn’t believe it .. being open to other styles of music will always make you a better musician you are the perfect example Thank you Mamadou Ba bass player

Thank you, thank you for this.

Excellent interview!

Fantastic interview!!!👍👍

Great talk! Thanks

46:40 Mr.McBride with the highest respect, that talk of "jazz having a low bar" while done in humility must be dropped. You are more than worthy of the crown has been put upon you, that Peter expresses here and who better to represent and wear it? You just turned 52. You have the depth and breadth of resumé within the genre and outside of it. You are the Ray and Ron for two generations now. With the highest respect, it is no act of humility to deny what you have done, are doing and will continue to do. Peter is right. You can wear the crown with humility but to deny it is arrogance. It says a man who has accomplished what you have is not who he is and that is not inspiring. And ultimately, the goal is to inspire. Which you do and have done.

No need history books since we got you ❤ such a cute chat 🐈 thanks a lot ❤

Yes! I learned so much, and as a side note the attention OSJ pays to production values makes the content stand out even more.

Great to see.

Great interview.

Great interview

Great work and #dedicationtoeducation !

Fantastique! Merci!

Fantastic!

This is beautiful in so many ways.

Wonderful stuff. 😊

What a great inside look at late 80s/early 90s jazz during the first part of the interview. Interesting observation / comparison of Wynton and Miles vis-a-vis playing people and pushing buttons (in very different ways, of course). Some great artists are provocateurs (which might not always be fun to be on the receiving end of), and some like Louis Armstrong--and, it seems, Christian--have huge hearts and every stranger is just a friend they haven't met. I can tell Peter and Christian have both a huge respect for Wynton and the confidence in their own taste and judgement to disagree with Wynton at times. All these years later, it's a possible to laugh at the jazz wars of the 1980s (I think even for Wynton himself) and see what stuck and what has been less enduring. In both the experimental and traditionalist camps, some of those records were brilliant and some were pretentious misses. Going to go read the March, 1985 issue of Musician magazine (recently posted online for free--Google it) to read the Wynton/Herbie debate.

More chat than interview... but kick ass nontheless!!! Awesome!

Wonderful conversation #christianmcbride #petermartin #openstudio

Wasn't this a great interview? So so interesting that he offers his perspective on the "Thou Shalt Only Play Music That Swing" Cult and it's "Dear Leader" with respect and love. Just facts. Interesting set of tensions in those days and what his journey was.

Christian is one cool cat. Great interview.

killin

43:43 when Peter's voice cracks in-regards to jazz memes wooooooooo

🎉🎉🎉

To be honest, I personally am not a fan of this desaturated warm-ish color grading style, but does it really matter when the conversation is so good? Thank you for your work!

神動画きた

thanks for the interview. 1:10:10 i'm going with Avishai Cohen - Colors (2000), Jaco - self-titled (1976), Dave Holland - Prime Directive (1999), Dave Holland - Emerald Tears (1977). what about you? :)

Instant hit

As a Bass player I have to get the gigs and pay the good cats a fair price. Otherwise there are more good Bass players in town than post covid gigs and every kit has their Bass player they've been working with for years. Cliches form and sometimes the freeze sets in. "If you call me for a gig, I will serve your music 100%" I guess they have to have confidence you can keep up.

What's your favourite albums with Christian mcbride? Would love to check out some new albums

37:56 that’s really sounds familiar

Every musician has to decide on his/her own what the “Real Shit” really is. No one needs Sir Wynton or Croucho to guide them. On a positive note: doesn’t everyone want to be as cool as CMB?

got to him before beato lol

"The Cult" is hilarious. A pretty MF-ing good 'cult band', though.

Great interview