Cecil McBee


Cecil McBee is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a sideman to a number of classic jazz albums.

Early life and education

McBee was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. He studied clarinet at school, but switched to bass at the age of 17, and began playing in local nightclubs. After gaining a music degree from Ohio Central State University, McBee spent two years in the U.S. Army, during which time he conducted the band at Fort Knox.

Beginnings

In 1959, he played with Dinah Washington, and in 1962 he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he worked with Paul Winter's folk-rock ensemble between 1963 and 1964.

New York

His jazz career began to take off in the mid-1960s, after he moved to New York, when he began playing and recording with a number of significant musicians including Miles Davis, Andrew Hill, Sam Rivers, Jackie McLean, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd, Yusef Lateef, Keith Jarrett, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw, and Alice Coltrane.

Later career

In the 2000s, McBee unsuccessfully sued a Japanese company that opened a chain of stores under his name. He was an artist in residence at Harvard from 2010 to 2011. He teaches at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts.

Awards

Grammys

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Mutima Alternate Spaces Music from the Source Compassion Flying Out Roots of Blue – duets with Muhal Richard AbramsUnspoken Tribal Ghost with John Tchicai, Charlie Kohlhase, Garrison Fewell, and Billy Hart
With Almanac

As sideman

With George Adams
With Ray Anderson
With Chet BakerBlues for a Reason
With Bill Barron
With Kenny Barron
With the Bob Thiele CollectiveSunrise Sunset
With Joanne BrackeenSnooze
With Dollar BrandAfrican Space Program
With Anthony BraxtonEight (+3) Tristano Compositions, 1989: For Warne Marsh
With Roy BrooksThe Free Slave
With Joe ChambersThe Almoravid
With Alice ColtraneJourney in Satchidananda Carnegie Hall '71 The Carnegie Hall Concert
With Junior Cook
With Stanley CowellEquipoise Close to You Alone
With Ted CursonBlue Piccolo
With Ricky Ford
With Chico FreemanMorning Prayer Chico The Outside Within Kings of Mali Spirit Sensitive Destiny's Dance
With Hal Galper
With Johnny GriffinBirds and Ballads
With Louis Hayes
With Roy Haynes
With Andrew HillCompulsion!
With Freddie Hubbard and Woody ShawDouble Take
With Elvin JonesPower Trio – with John HicksWhen I Was at Aso-Mountain Elvin Jones Jazz Machine It Don't Mean a Thing
With Clifford JordanTwo Tenor Winner
With John KlemmerMagic and Movement
With Prince LashaInside Story
With Yusef LateefThe Complete Yusef Lateef The Blue Yusef Lateef Yusef Lateef's Detroit The Diverse Yusef Lateef
With The LeadersMudfoot Out Here Like This Heaven Dance – The Leaders Trio with pianist Kirk Lightsey and drummer Don MoyeUnforeseen Blessings Slipping and Sliding Spirits Alike
With Dave LiebmanThe Seasons John Coltrane's Meditations
With Charles LloydDream Weaver Forest Flower The Flowering Charles Lloyd in Europe
With Raphe MalikStoryline – with Cody Moffett
With Joe ManeriDahabenzapple
With Jackie McLeanIt's Time! Action Action Action
With Lloyd McNeillTreasures
With Charles McPhersonNew Horizons
With Grachan Moncur IIISome Other Stuff Echoes of Prayer with the Jazz Composer's Orchestra
With Tisziji MunozRendezvous With Now Visiting This Planet Presence of Joy Divine Radiance
With Amina Claudine MyersSalutes Bessie Smith
With Art PepperWinter Moon
With Dannie Richmond"In" Jazz for the Culture Set
With Sam RiversDimensions & Extensions Streams Hues Emanation - Volume 1 of the Sam Rivers Archive Series; recorded in 1971
With Charlie RouseSocial Call with Red Rodney
With Pharoah SandersIzipho Zam (My Gifts) Jewels of Thought Thembi Black Unity Live at the East Village of the Pharoahs Love in Us All Wisdom Through Music
With various artistsThe New Wave in Jazz
With Saxophone SummitGathering of Spirits
With Zbigniew SeifertMan of the Light
With Woody ShawThe Moontrane Love Dance The Iron Men with Anthony Braxton
With Archie SheppLady Bird
With Wayne ShorterEt Cetera Odyssey of Iska
With Sonny SimmonsBurning Spirits
With Lonnie Liston Smith
With Buddy Tate and Dollar Brand
With Leon ThomasSpirits Known and Unknown
With Horace TapscottThe Dark Tree, Vol. 1 & 2
With Charles TolliverLive at Slugs', Volume I & II Music Inc. Impact With Love
With Mickey TuckerSojourn Mister Mysterious
With McCoy TynerQuartets 4 X 4 Blues for Coltrane
With James "Blood" UlmerRevealing
With Mal WaldronWhat It Is
With Michael WhiteThe Land of Spirit and Light
With Paul WinterJazz Meets the Folk-Song
With Yōsuke YamashitaSakura Kurdish Dance Dazzling Days Fragments 1999 Spider Delightful Contrast
With Denny ZeitlinCathexis
With Norman Connors
  • ''Dance of Magic''