Bassist and Bandleader Recently Named Host of New Show from NPR - Jazz Night in America

The organizers of the Jazz Connect Conference announced that bassist, composer, bandleader, and radio host Christian McBride will give the keynote presentation at the Conference on Thursday, January 8 at 12:15 pm. Presented by JazzTimes and the Jazz Forward Coalition, the Jazz Connect Conference takes place on January 8-9, 2015 at Saint Peter's Church in New York City.  The conference brings together members of the jazz community from all over the globe in a series of panels, workshops and events. With a theme of "Strength Through Community," Jazz Connect leads into both the APAP | NYC conference, which begins on that Friday, and Winter Jazzfest, which takes place on Friday and Saturday nights. You can find more information about the event at www.jazz-connect.com. Pre-registration is only $125 until December 15 (after which regular registration increases to $175), with additional discounts offered to members of various partner organizations, including APAP, Jazz Journalists Association, Chamber Music America, AFM - Local 802, JazzWeek and others.

Since the early 1990s Christian McBride has recorded on over 300 dates as a sideman. However, he's been a leader from his debut recording in 1995. Aside from relatively recent travels with Pat Metheny as well as Chick Corea, Roy Haynes, John McLaughlin and Kenny Garrett, and the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour - 55th Anniversary, McBride has been artist-in-residence and artistic director with organizations such as Jazz Aspen, LA Philharmonic, New York's 92nd St. Y, Jazz House Kids and NJPAC. McBride manages to tour consistently with his trio (with Christian Sands and Ulysses Owens Jr.) and his quintet, Inside Straight. He also fronts the Christian McBride Big Band, whose Mack Avenue recording, The Good Feeling, won the GRAMMY® Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2012-his third GRAMMY® win overall. In addition, McBride hosts a show on Sirius/XM and DJs at clubs as DJ Brother Mister.

McBride was recently named the host of "Jazz Night in America," a new program from NPR Music, WBGO, and Jazz at Lincoln Center that showcases today's thriving jazz scene across all public radio platforms. A weekly national radio program, Wednesday Night Video Webcasts from venues around the country, features in national news coverage, videos and more, "Jazz Night in America" is a hub for connecting audiences with the most inspiring performances, artists and stories in jazz.

Previous keynote speakers at Jazz Connect include Ben Cameron of the Doris Duke Foundation, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and Bill Strickland of the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild.   McBride's keynote speech will follow five short TEDTalk-like presentations from speakers such as Somi, Francisco Mela and Michael Lazaroff (The Jazz Cruise), as well as the presentation of the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award to SFJAZZ founder Randall Kline.