Christopher McBride
Saxophonist Christopher McBride is based in New York City and has gained respect amongst fans, critics, and his peers as one of the most versatile saxophonists in the world. Born in Chicago and starting his professional career there in 2007, Christopher made the move to NYC in 2013. His ensemble, The Whole Proof, has played venues all around the country. The musicians he has performed with over the years span many genres sharing the stage with Billy Preston, Percy Gray, Roy Hargrove, Pete Rock, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Talib Kweli, Lupe Fiasco, Guy Sebastian, Solange, Ne-Yo, Jennifer Hudson, Alice Smith, Brandon Flowers, Lea DeLaria, 88 Keys, Milton Mustafa, Winard Harper, and Marquis Hill.
As a composer, McBride was selected as the 2022 Make Jazz Fellowship artist at The 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica, California. As a curator, Christopher ran his ‘Singer Meets Saxophonist’ series at the famed Minton’s Playhouse on Sunday nights in Harlem from 2017-2019. As a recording artist, McBride’s February 2023 release ‘Ramon’ made the Top 25 on the JazzWeek Charts and stayed on the charts for 14 weeks as well as making the JazzWeek Top 100 albums for 2023. The sophomore release has received critical acclaim. All About Jazz called the album “a sonic marvel that showcases a robust grasp of bebop and contemporary jazz idioms.” His most recent album is ‘The Hang, The Hustle, The Path’ that was released in October 2025. As a performing artist he has received a Grammy certificate for his work as a collaborator and soloist on Steven Feifke and Bijon Watson’s 2022 album “Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.”
As an educator, McBride has served as the Director of Education for the Second Line Arts Collective, a non-for-profit organization based out of New Orleans. His primary duties included writing curriculum for the Little Stompers division and teacher development. He also teaches for Jazz at Lincoln Center regularly, as well as touring nationally with various educational programs. As a journalist and consultant, McBride has worked with Forbes Ignite, the innovation coalition of Forbes.
In addition to leading his projects The Whole Proof & Singer Meets Saxophonist, McBride is also the Music Supervisor of The Soapbox Presents in Harlem as well as the Musical Director of The Jazz Continuum. His active schedule includes education, composition and arranging in addition to performance.
The Whole Proof
Christopher McBride & The Whole Proof is a jazz experience that explores the African American landscape. The Whole Proof’s features original jazz compositions written by the leader along with other members of the band. These original compositions written by McBride fit his listening ear when it comes to music: a wide variety of genres. Multiple genres are infused throughout the music: Influences from the African diaspora, R&B, Hip-Hop, Gospel, Latin Music and soul while having a strong rooting in ‘straight-ahead’ swing to create a ‘feel good’ concoction that keeps people dancing in (and sometimes out of) their seats.
The Whole Proof has been in existence five years. This ensemble started off as Quatuor de Force in Chicago back in 2012. When Christopher moved to New York in 2013 he decided to change the name of the group to add performers at his discretion and also experiment with different sounds and colors.
The Whole Proof’s mission is to create stories for the audience by verbally expressing my feelings behind each composition. The Whole Proof’s long-term vision is reach more people through recording, touring and educational outreach.
Singer Meets Saxophonist
'Singer Meets Saxophonist' is the brainchild of saxophonist Christopher McBride, in which some of the top vocalists and musicians in New York collaborate for fantastic evenings of music. When Christopher arrived to New York in 2013, he wanted to work with more vocalists and create a rapport, as well as learn their repertoire. In 2014, the monthly series was started at Therapy Wine Bar in Brooklyn. In the 18 months that followed, Christopher got the chance to work with vocalists such as Chris Turner, Emily Braden, Milton Suggs, Melanie Charles, Shenel Johns, Wayne Tucker, Hilary Gardner, Antoinette Montague and other well-known vocalists and instrumentalists who made a point to stop by. These musicians helped craft a vibe similar to a jam session, much to the delight of the audience.
At Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, the Sunday night series featured a vocalist hosted by CNOTE (Christopher McBride, Jonathan Edward Thomas and Curtis Nowosad), an organ trio that has fantastic chemistry and played twice a week in the East Village for over a year.
From March of 2017 to August 2019, Sunday nights at Minton‘s Playhouse was the place to hear great live music weekly. The New York Times has described the house band (Organ Group CNOTENYC) as ‘part of a network of fabulous young musicians in New York’. The rapport and sincerity of all the musicians creates inspiring works appreciated by musician and patron alike. In recent years 'Singer Meets Saxophonist' has been touring clubs and performing arts centers throughout the United States with vocalists such as Dee Alexander, Marqueal Jordan and Julia Danielle.