Today, 9x GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist, producer, composer, bandleader, arranger, educator, broadcaster, and artistic director Christian McBride—widely regarded as the most versatile figure in jazz—introduces his newest ensemble, Christian McBride & Ursa Major. The group features an extraordinary lineup of rising stars: saxophonist Nicole Glover, guitarist Ely Perlman, pianist Mike King, and drummer Savannah Harris. With their debut single, “More Is,” McBride showcases the next generation of jazz virtuosos, delivering an adventurous, genre-defying musical journey that only a master of his caliber can orchestrate.
Listen to Christian McBride & Ursa Major “More Is”
“I’m so thrilled to finally have some music out from my new band of young giants, Ursa Major, and to be releasing it in digital and 45 format,” says McBride. “I’ve been playing with this group on the road for the past two years and we’ve gotten to be a tightly knit unit. They are truly the finest of jazz’s contemporary generation. Drummer Savannah Harris wrote ‘More Is’ and it’s an audience favorite on the road. The combination of Savannah’s incredible groove with that infectious melody makes this track hard to beat.”
Savannah Harris is a drummer, composer and producer who’s performed and recorded with artists like Helado Negro, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Standing on the Corner, Jason Moran, Ambrose Akinmusire, Terrence Blanchard, Billy Childs, Immanuel Wilkins, Joel Ross, and Aaron Parks. Virtuosic pianist Michael King has performed with DeeDee Bridgewater, Theo Croker, Bobby Watson, Kevin Eubanks, Dave Liebeman, Gary Bartz, Billy Hart, Joel Frahm, Rufus Reid, and Antonio Hart. Saxophonist, bandleader, composer, and educator Nicole Glover has released solo album’s like 2024’s Plays, and she’s an integral member of the supergroup ARTEMIS. Ely Perlman is a guitarist, composer, and producer who has collaborated with Shai Maestro and Ben Wendel, leads a jazz quartet highlighting his compositional vision, and is lead singer for the indie band SWIMS.
Christian McBride & Ursa Major are touring the US this spring, and a 7” vinyl release for “More Is” will be released on April 16. Preorder is available HERE.
Christian McBride & Ursa Major Tour Dates:
03/16 - Frenchtown, NJ - Artyard
03/17 - Philadelphia, PA - City Winery
03/18 - Kingston, NY - Assembly
03/19 - Albany, NY - The Swyer Theatre at The Egg
03/22 - San Francisco, CA - Miner Auditorium (SFJAZZ Center)
03/23 - San Francisco, CA - Miner Auditorium (SFJAZZ Center)
03/24 - Santa Cruz, CA - Kuumbwa Jazz Center
03/27 - Seattle, WA - Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
03/28 - Seattle, WA - Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
03/29 - Seattle, WA - Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
03/30 - Seattle, WA - Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
04/16 - Hanover, NH - Hopkins Center for the Arts
04/22 - Grand Rapids, MI - St. Cecilia Music Center
04/23 - Traverse City, MI - The Alluvian
05/02 - New York, NY - Jazz at Lincoln Center
05/03 - New York, NY - Jazz at Lincoln Center
About Christian McBride:
Christian McBride is a nine-time GRAMMY-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the Christian McBride’s World at Sea cruise, the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, and serves as Artistic Director of Jazz House KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions. In addition to artistic directing and consistent touring with his ensembles, he hosts NPR’s “Jazz Night in America” and "The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian" on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always part of the music. From jazz to R&B, and pop/rock and hip-hop/neo-soul to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him.
