In 1995 Dave Brubeck composed a piano and double bass duet titled Here Comes McBride, a public induction of a 20-something bassist into the lineage of jazz itself. This episode explores how Christian McBride, born in Philadelphia in May 1972, became the ultimate musical bridge, with more than 400 sideman recordings and 11 Grammy Awards spanning James Brown, Sting, Paul McCartney, Queen Latifah, and Celine Dion as well as the acoustic tradition. It starts with his roots on electric bass in funk and R&B, training at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts and Juilliard, and the call at 17 from saxophonist Bobby Watson that pulled him onto New York bandstands with Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, J.J. Johnson, and Hank Jones while he came up alongside Joshua Redman and Roy Hargrove.

From Ray Brown's 1992 SuperBass trio  ...