You Are My Joy: Walking the Path with Christopher McBride

Saxophonist Christopher McBride taps into the Black music diaspora to set the people, places, and events that shaped his life to music on his third album, “The Hang, The Hustle, The Path.” Rooted in bebop, swing, straight-ahead and contemporary jazz, the alto saxman, producer, composer, and arranger’s culturally rich alchemy of sound mixes in R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and Latin music on this, the first album of a trilogy.

McBride’s band, The Whole Proof, features on the CR McBride Music release that drops on October 3rd and will be supported by a four-city concert tour.

Recorded in a Brooklyn studio in three days earlier this year, “The Hang, The Hustle, The Path” sounds live and McBride opens by introducing the players on the album starting with the three musicians who comprise The Whole Proof: Jon Thomas (piano, keyboards, and organ), Barry Stephenson (acoustic and electric bass), and Michael Piolet (drums).

Featured guests include trumpeters Josh Evans and Wayne Tucker, guitarist Marcus Machado, and vocalists Charles Turner and J. Hoard. After the intro “Welcome (#AllDay),” McBride invites listeners to go on a personal musical journey with a soundtrack composed of ten original compositions and two reimagined covers.

McBride launched his professional career as a musician in 2007 and released his debut album, “Quatuor de Force,” in 2012. Two years ago, his acclaimed “Ramon” album climbed into the top 25 on the JazzWeek chart and remained on the chart for fourteen weeks, earning a spot on the yearend chart as one of the year’s best.

I sat down with Christopher and we discussed everything from this new album, the video for Saxophone at Night, what he himself is listening to, and, oh yeah, even penguins!

Being that The Hang, The Hustle, The Path is your third album, and was recorded over just three days in a Brooklyn studio, given the high levels of speed, preciseness and preparedness that must have gone into that period of time, how did your creative sound differ here on this third album as opposed to your previous outputs? - “Each record has taken a little more time than the last. For each record, there is usually months of rehearsal so that all the musicians are completely comfortable in the music and we can use our time in the studio efficiently (studios are expensive!!). The first record I finished in a day, the second record was laid down in two. For The Hang, The Hustle The Path I did three days: two were recording days and then the third day was adding colors and listening back. I really enjoyed not feeling like I had to rush so I think moving forward it will be at least three days in the studio if not more. Just having the space and the time to record where it doesn’t feel rushed has elevated my creative sound.”

What were some of the biggest obstacles along the way to bringing this album to fruition and how did you overcome them? - “I think one of the biggest obstacles with any record is financial. Of course, if money wasn’t an issue, I would love to run ads all over, put up billboards, etc. I spent the most money that I’ve ever spent for the third record, one way of working against that obstacle was talking to vendors and working out payment plans for some parts of the album. This particular record I feel like that was the main issue. I’ve had the concept of this record worked out for years and it was nice to just get many songs I had down out into the world.”

As for the new album, I understand that it is being touted as one rooted in bebop, swing, swing, straight ahead and contemporary jazz, etc. so can you please explain just what these rhythms, movements and patterns within the genres mean to you within the context of how it came together, both thematically and musically? - “The genre of Jazz was actually one of the later styles of music I discovered. I grew up with my parents, listening to reggae, R&B, Hip-Hop and Gospel. I don’t think I purchased my first jazz record until my teens. Musically, I always say that my music sounds like all of my influences rooted around swing. I describe my band The Whole Proof as a sonic experience that explores the African American musical landscape. Thematically this entire album is based off of a person place or circumstance that shaped me into the artist that I am today.”

Indeed, a lot of words and terms have already been used to describe your music over the years, but how would you yourself sum up your sound on this new album ... and in just five (5) words? - “Incredible music top to bottom!”

Please tell us (in a couple of sentences or less) a little more about what these tracks noted below mean to you and how they came to be:

Opportunity Lost - “We as humans can’t be everywhere at once. This piece was inspired by certain events I’ve had to miss because of other obligations.”

A Downpour of Beauty - “This song was written for my fiancée Chantel who was my girlfriend at the time. Our connection has always been so seamless and beautiful. Also my first time penning lyrics by myself which really captures how I feel about my love.”

Seven (The Human Cost) - “In the National African-American Museum of History & Culture there is (was?) a paragraph written about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. If a slave works to survive the voyage once they landed in America, their body lasted seven years before it broke down and couldn’t work anymore. This paragraph impacted me so deeply, this composition was written the day after that visit.”

Kiss of Life - “I’ve always loved this song, always love J. Hoard and what he brings to any tune he sings. I told my band to imagine what it would sound like if Clyde Stubblefield took Sade on a date. Wanted to present this one with more of a driving sound and more colors from the saxophone.”

And was The Hang, The Hustle, The Path always going to be the albums name or was there another that nearly won the race come the time to take your hands off the project? - “When I started working on the music for this album, I didn’t really have a name, but eventually I came up with that once I thought of the theme of the record. It was really based off of a conversation with a great Saxophonist talking about life and the paths that intersect and disconnect”

Being that we’re not called Exclusive Magazine for nothing, is there a hidden message, a secret notation or an easter egg to be found amongst all the tracks assembled for this recording? - “No hidden message per se, but I will give you an exclusive (no pun intended). This is actually part one of a three parts Path series. The next two records are titled Lessons On The Path and Questions On The Path”

Having watched the video for Saxophone at Night, I found it a fun and colorful watch, one well put together, so who came up with the idea and what can you tell us about the behind-the-scenes set up of it and how the filming went? - “It’s my first video for an original song and I thought it went really well! The dance that was being performed in the video is actually something I came up with I call it the “Showtime Shuffle”. There hasn’t been a line dance in Jazz since the Shim Sham that I know of. Line dances are such a cultural connection in the black community and I wanted to show that type of energy in Swing. Wanted to use a first-person aspect of someone touring a new club and seeing all of the different facets of mixing live music and dancing.”

Christopher McBride - Saxophone at Night (Official Music Video)

What are some of the last albums (CD, vinyl, cassette, et al) you physically purchased (vintage and/or new releases) and which one have you already gone back to listen to more and why? - “I always try to keep an ear out on colleagues and peers in the industry. The last record I checked out was by Cecile McLourin Salvant (Oh Snap), and it was incredible. I love how effortlessly you can hear her influences and she wasn’t afraid to step outside of swing. I just thought it was an art piece. Also, I’ve been checking out Julia Danielle, Luther Allison and Brandon Woody.”

What would you like all the readers of this interview to know about the new album and what to expect? - “The new album starts with an introduction of everyone, which I feel like doesn’t happen in most instrumental records. I feel like most records you jump in the music right away with no set up. The album can’t happen without all the musicians involved. At a live show I would introduce everyone so I feel that records should have that same energy. I would just say expect the unexpected, I feel my composition to take turns out of nowhere, but it’s in the best way possible, and the flow stays connected throughout each piece.”

And yes, we ask everyone we interview this very same question (as we are putting together a kid’s book). We here at Exclusive Magazine love Penguins and so we were wondering if you had any love for them and/or had a story of one (soft toy, zoo, chocolate bar, relative, etc.) that you could share with us? - “I don’t have any real stories with penguins but recently random videos have popped in my algorithm and they seem like very polite animals. One was walking down a path and saw some humans on the path, politely stood by and then when they moved out of his way, he continued. That quick video plus this question makes me want to learn about them more! ”

And finally, we asked Christopher to kindly provide a never-before-seen photograph of himself. One that perfectly personified his readiness for the world to hear his new musical endeavor. And kindly, and whilst flipping the script a little within the assignment, this is what he sent and how he explained it.