Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride provides label co-founder and govt to his resumé with the launch of imprint Brother Mister Productions in partnership with Mack Avenue Music Group. The first launch underneath the imprint would be the debut album from Christian McBride’s New Jawn (Oct. 26), the musician/bandleader’s latest group that includes trumpeter Josh Evans, saxophonist Marcus Strickland and drummer Nasheet Waits.
“Christian has been an inspiring artistic associate for Mack Avenue,” said Mack Avenue Music Group president Denny Stilwell in a launch saying the imprint. “His physique of labor with Inside Straight, the trio, the massive band and the just lately shaped New Jawn, simply to call just a few, is past spectacular. Taking our relationship to this subsequent stage and dealing with him on Brother Mister Productions is logical, invigorating and supplies a platform for Brother Mister himself to unfold his wings even additional.”
Added McBride, “Never in my wildest desires did I ever assume I’d have an imprint. I’m grateful to Mack Avenue for the chance to highlight present and future initiatives I’m enthusiastic about.”
Subsequent releases from Brother Mister Productions will embody each well-established and growing artists. The imprint derives its identify from James Brown, who continuously used the prefix “Brother” or “Mister.” While rehearsing for what grew to become Brown’s remaining live performance in Los Angeles on the Hollywood Bowl in September 2006, the Godfather of Soul referred to McBride — his music director for the present — as “Brother Mister McBride” which McBride by no means forgot. In reality, McBride has since segued into the membership DJ enviornment underneath the moniker DJ Brother Mister.
In addition to his work as a bassist, bandleader, composer and arranger, McBride doubles as host of his NPR-distributed radio present “Jazz Night in America” and his SiriusXM radio present “The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian.” He was just lately appointed creative director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival. He additionally holds a number of different creative directorships, amongst them NJPAC, Jazz House Kids, JAS Aspen Summer Academy and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
Mack Avenue Music Group garnered eight nominations for the 60th annual Grammy Awards in January 2018 (together with wins for McBride, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Billy Childs). The firm is house to 5 different imprints: Artistry Music, Rendezvous Music, Sly Dog Records, MaxJazz and Detroit Music Factory.
