Cecil McBee
- Born:
- , Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
- Instrument:
- Bass
- Genres:
- Jazz, Funk / Soul, Pop, Folk, World, & Country, Rock, Blues, Classical
- Styles:
- Post Bop, Free Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Avant-garde Jazz, Modal, Hard Bop, Fusion, Bop, Soul-Jazz, Free Improvisation
Cecil McBee is a preeminent voice in modern jazz bass, having contributed to over 300 releases. His career is defined by its extreme stylistic breadth, moving effortlessly across Hard Bop, Post Bop, Free Jazz, and Avant-garde Jazz. The timeline shows a clear shift: from anchoring crucial Hard Bop sessions for Blue Note with Jackie McLean in the mid-1960s, to pioneering the expansive sound of the 1970s with his landmark Free Jazz leader album, “Mutima”. Crucially, McBee formed a productive rhythmic partnership with drummer Billy Hart, which extended his influence into the contemporary era. Furthermore, his collaborative spirit helped define the independent jazz sound of the 1970s, as he was a key figure alongside Stanley Cowell on the highly influential Strata-East Records roster. His work with giants like Charles Lloyd and Grachan Moncur III spanned cornerstone labels, including Blue Note, Impulse!, and Atlantic.
Essential Cecil McBee Albums
Mutima
Cecil McBee
1974
Avant-garde Jazz
A Tribute To John Coltrane / Blues For Coltrane
McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, David Murray, Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes
1988
Free Jazz
Alternate Spaces
Cecil McBee
1979
Contemporary Jazz
What It Is
Mal Waldron, Clifford Jordan, Cecil McBee, Dannie Richmond
1981
Post Bop
Live At The Jazz Showcase In Chicago Volume One
Hampton Hawes, Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes
1981
Contemporary Jazz
Almanac
Mike Nock, Bennie Maupin, Cecil McBee, Eddie Marshall
1977
Post Bop
Flying Out
Cecil McBee
1982
Free Jazz
Tribal Ghost
John Tchicai, Charlie Kohlhase, Garrison Fewell, Cecil McBee, Billy Hart
2013
Contemporary Jazz
Beast Is
Barry Wallenstein, Cecil McBee, Stanley Cowell
1978
Free Jazz
Luv
Donald Smith, Cecil McBee, Jack DeJohnette
1976
Free Jazz
Similar Artists
Top Labels
| Label | Releases |
|---|---|
| Impulse! | 34 |
| Blue Note | 32 |
| Enja Records | 28 |
| ABC Records | 19 |
| India Navigation | 16 |
| Atlantic | 13 |
| Muse Records | 13 |
| Verve Records | 13 |
| Galaxy | 12 |
| Strata-East | 10 |
Cecil McBee Collaborations
As Leader
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Hart | Drums | 4 |
| Famoudou Don Moye | Percussion | 2 |
| Joe Gardner | Trumpet | 2 |
| Mal Waldron | Piano | 2 |
| Roy Haynes | Drums | 2 |
| Hampton Hawes | Piano | 2 |
| John Hicks | Piano | 2 |
| Steve McCall | Drums | 2 |
| Dennis Moorman | Piano | 2 |
| Pheeroan Aklaff | Drums | 2 |
As Sideman
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Hart | Drums | 32 |
| Kenny Barron | Piano | 21 |
| Jack DeJohnette | Drums | 13 |
| George Cables | Piano | 12 |
| Stanley Cowell | Piano | 10 |
| Eddie Henderson | Trumpet | 10 |
| Pheeroan Aklaff | Drums | 10 |
| Roy Haynes | Drums | 9 |
| Kirk Lightsey | Piano | 8 |
| Woody Shaw | Trumpet | 8 |
Key Personnel
| Person | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Various | Leader | 27 |
| Ed Michel | Producer | 19 |
| Pharoah Sanders | Leader | 14 |
| Chico Freeman | Leader | 13 |
| David Baker | Engineer | 12 |
| Baker Bigsby | Engineer | 11 |
| Bob Thiele | Producer | 10 |
| David Baker | Recorded By | 9 |
| Nat Hentoff | Liner Notes | 9 |
| Rudy Van Gelder | Engineer | 9 |
Discography
Total: 329 releases
| Artist | Album | Label | Leader/Sideman | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharoah Sanders | Wisdom Through Music | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Pharoah Sanders Featuring Vocalist Sedatrius Brown | Village Of The Pharoahs | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Alice Coltrane | The Carnegie Hall Concert | Impulse! | Sideman | Free Jazz | 2024 |
| Pharoah Sanders | Thembi | - | Sideman | 2023 | |
| Various | Spiritual Jazz 14: Private | - | Sideman | 2023 | |
| Pharoah Sanders | Jewels Of Thought | - | Sideman | 2023 | |
| Wendell Harrison | Fly By Night | - | Sideman | 2023 | |
| Joe Chambers | The Almoravid | - | Sideman | 2022 | |
| Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane | Antibes 68 / New York 71 - The Radio Broadcasts | Fat Alberts Bag | Sideman | Avant-garde Jazz | 2022 |
| Nathan Francis, Eero Koivistoinen | NFQ | Ajabu! | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2021 |
| The Cookers | Look Out! | Gearbox Records | Sideman | Hard Bop | 2021 |
| Ann Burton | It Might As Well Be Love | - | Sideman | 2021 | |
| Various | Impulse Records (Music, Message And The Moment) | - | Sideman | 2021 | |
| Various | Detroit Jazz City Workshop Jazz Singles 1962-63 | Honey Pie Records | Sideman | 2021 | |
| Saxophone Summit | Street Talk | Enja Records | Sideman | 2019 | |
| Albert Dailey | Renaissance | - | Sideman | 2019 | |
| Camille Thurman | Waiting for the Sunrise | Chesky Records | Sideman | 2018 | |
| Pharoah Sanders Quintet | 18 July 1971 • Nice, France | Not On Label | Sideman | Avant-garde Jazz | 2018 |
| Wynton Kelly Trio | Unissued In Boston | Phono | Sideman | Bop | 2017 |
| Mtume* | Rebirth Cycle | - | Sideman | 2017 |
Styles & Genres Distribution
Styles
| Style | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Post Bop | 77 | 16.3% |
| Free Jazz | 49 | 10.4% |
| Contemporary Jazz | 49 | 10.4% |
| Avant-garde Jazz | 38 | 8.1% |
| Modal | 33 | 7% |
| Hard Bop | 25 | 5.3% |
| Fusion | 19 | 4% |
| Bop | 17 | 3.6% |
| Soul-Jazz | 17 | 3.6% |
| Free Improvisation | 10 | 2.1% |
Genres
| Genre | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 286 | 60.7% |
| Funk / Soul | 7 | 1.5% |
| Pop | 5 | 1.1% |
| Folk, World, & Country | 2 | 0.4% |
| Rock | 1 | 0.2% |
| Blues | 1 | 0.2% |
| Classical | 1 | 0.2% |