BASSIST CHRISTIAN McBRIDE RECEIVES FIRST GRAMMY® AWARD AS LEADER FOR THE GOOD FEELING - "BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM"

BASSIST CHRISTIAN McBRIDE RECEIVES FIRST GRAMMY® AWARD AS LEADER FOR THE GOOD FEELING - "BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM" The Good Feeling Mack Avenue Records bassist Christian McBride received his first GRAMMY® Award as a leader at the 54th Annual GRAMMY® Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. McBride won in the "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album" category for his big band debut, The Good Feeling.   "The project couldn't be more aptly titled," states McBride, reflecting on the win. "That's exactly how I feel!" "As one of the most prolific musicians of his generation, Christian has won several GRAMMY® Awards as a sideman but had never been nominated as a leader," states Denny Stilwell, President of Mack Avenue Records. "When news broke that he received his first nomination for the ambitious big band project, we were thrilled for him. And now that he has won, we are even more thrilled. Congratulations, Christian!" In 2011, in addition to The Good Feeling, McBride also released the critically-acclaimed album, Conversations With Christian (on November 8). ** For over 20 years, McBride has appeared in numerous musical settings with just about any musician imaginable in the jazz as well as R&B and pop worlds. From playing with the likes of Milt Jackson, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny; to playing with and/or arranging for the likes of Isaac Hayes, Chaka Khan, Lalah Hathaway, Sting and the legendary James Brown, what has always been unique about McBride is his versatility. In addition to his work in the neo-soul arena with The Roots, D'Angelo, Queen Latifah and others, the Philadelphia native has also led his own ensembles: The Christian McBride Band, A Christian McBride Situation and his most recent group, "Inside Straight" (fresh off their critically acclaimed 2009 effort, Kind of Brown). There are many sides to the musical persona of McBride, and The Good Feeling has him realizing another one: as the leader, arranger and conductor of his big band. McBride's first foray into the world of big band composing and arranging dates back to 1995, when he was commissioned by Jazz At Lincoln Center to write Bluesin' in Alphabet City, featured on The Good Feeling and originally debuted by Wynton Marsalis & The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra. Since that time he has composed a number of pieces for larger ensembles including The Movement Revisited, a five movement suite dedicated to four of the major figures of the civil rights movement: Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At McBride's core is The Good Feeling, his first full-fledged big band recording, that is presented in a truly impressive fashion. He sought the advice of some of the most accomplished arrangers around, such as Jimmy Heath and John Clayton; and referenced material by the likes of Oliver Nelson, Duke Ellington, Thad Jones and Don Sebesky, among others The album features classic, "staple" tunes along with original McBride compositions (the perfect balance and platform on which to showcase the band). **  CHRISTIAN McBRIDE'S RECENT CRITICAL RECOGNITION: NPR "All Things Considered" Interview Associated Press Review WNYC "Soundcheck" Interview & Performance Los Angeles Times Review Boston Globe Review Philadelphia Inquirer Review DownBeat Interview UPCOMING CHRISTIAN McBRIDE U.S. PERFORMANCES: All performances to feature McBride's Inside Straight group unless otherwise noted. + February 18 | August Wilson Center | Pittsburgh, PA February 24 | University of North Carolina/Memorial Hall | Chapel Hill, NC March 27-31 | Birdland | New York, NY April 5-8 | Jazz Alley | Seattle, WA *April 21 | Touhill Performing Arts Center | St. Louis, MO *May 10 | Tribeca Performing Arts Center | New York, NY June 8 | Flynn Center for the Performing Arts/Discover Jazz Festival | Burlington, VA *June 16 | Hollywood Bowl/Playboy Jazz Festival | Los Angeles, CA *June 17 | Herbst Theater/SFJAZZ Festival | San Francisco, CA June 23 | University of Charleston Grounds/Wine & All That Jazz Festival | Charleston, WV June 30 | 35th Annual Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival | Saratoga Springs, NY August 4 | Newport Jazz Festival | Newport, RI **August 19 | Seiji Ozawa Hall/Tanglewood Recital Series | Lenox MA +With Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra *Christian McBride Big Band **Christian McBride Trio For additional worldwide performances, please visit: Ted Kurland Associates (McBride's book agency).  Christian McBride · The Good Feeling and Conversations With Christian Mack Avenue Records · Release Dates (respectively): Sept. 27, 2011 & Nov. 8, 2011 For more information on Christian McBride, please visit: christianmcbride.com For media information, please contact:  DL Media · 610-667-0501 Jordy Freed · jordy@dlmediamusic.com For press materials on Christian McBride, Mack Avenue artists or Mack Avenue Record labels in general (including album covers, promotional photos and logos), please visit: media.mackavenue.com MACK AVENUE · the road to great music · mackavenue.com ###