Today, nine-time GRAMMY® Award winner Christian McBride announced the upcoming release of Without Further Ado, Vol. 1, a new album featuring his acclaimed big band and an all star cast of special guests. Following up his big band’s GRAMMY® Award winning 2020 release For Jimmy, Wes & Oliver, the new release employs a jaw-dropping array of talent, featuring Sting, Andy Summers, Samara Joy, Dianne Reeves, José James, Cécille McLorin Salvant, Jeffrey Osborne, and Antoinette Henry to bridge eras with elegance and groove, reaffirming McBride’s status as a champion of jazz past, present and future. The album will be released on August 29 via Mack Avenue Records, and is currently available for preorder here. McBride has also released the track “Murder By Numbers,” reuniting Sting with his bandmate Andy Summers for the first time since The Police’s 2007-2008 reunion tour. The Christian McBride Big Band takes the band’s iconic song to new heights.
Listen: Christian McBride Big Band “Murder By Numbers (Feat Sting & Andy Summers)”
“I am absolutely thrilled to have Sting and Andy Summers — two-thirds of one of the most influential bands in history, The Police — join me for one of their songs,” says McBride “Sting continues to evolve gracefully as an artist, and Andy still plays with the sophisticated fire and grit he has always possessed. A huge thank you to both of them, as well as to the remarkable Pedrito Martinez, for bringing that special ‘thang’ that only he can provide.”
Having played with artists ranging from Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis to Billie Eilish and Celine Dion, several of McBride’s artistic paths converge on Without Further Ado creating an electrifying collection of reimagined classics and surprises. The inspiration and many of the arrangements for the album grew out of the annual NJPAC Gala, for which the Big Band has served as house band and McBride as musical director since 2012. “We've always invited a bunch of great singers to come and perform at the Gala,” McBride says, “and as musical director, I’m responsible for arranging all of the music. After so many years of writing big band charts for these incredible singers, I realized that I had stacks of music that had only been played once. This has been a fantastic opportunity to finally record some of these arrangements and to play them with some of my favorite singers.”
If there is any doubt that we are living through a vocal jazz renaissance, the multi-generational line-up of singers McBride has assembled for Without Further Ado, Vol. 1 definitively settles that debate. From Samara Joy’s breathtaking version of the jazz standard “Old Folks,” to Jeffrey Osborne’s reinterpretation of his band L.T.D’s 1977 number one hit “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again,” Without Further Ado, Vol 1 is like a vocal all-star game that’s heightened by the elegance and fire of the Christian McBride Big Band.
Ahead of the album release, the Christian McBride Big Band will be performing at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 3, where they’ll be performing some of the new music from the album. In 2026 he will launch the first ever McBride’s World at Sea cruise, featuring performances with all of his critically acclaimed bands and loads of special guests onboard.
About Christian McBride:
Christian McBride is a nine-time GRAMMY®-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Art Center’s TD James Moody Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, serving 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. McBride’s 2024 album But Who’s Gonna Play The Melody? was recorded with renowned bassist, composer, and seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Edgar Meyer. Released via Mack Avenue Records, the album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Crossover chart.
