Cecil McBee

Cecil McBee was born on May 19, 1935, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He initially studied clarinet in school before switching to upright bass at age 17, playing in local nightclubs. McBee earned a music degree from Ohio Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and served two years in the U.S. Army conducting at Fort Knox. His professional career began in 1959 performing with Dinah Washington while completing college. He moved to Detroit in 1962 and joined Paul Winter’s ensemble from 1963 to 1964 before relocating to New York.

McBee quickly became an in-demand sideman in New York. He recorded and performed with Andrew Hill, Sam Rivers, Jackie McLean, Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, and Alice Coltrane throughout the early 1960s. When Charles Lloyd formed his breakthrough quartet in 1966 with McBee on bass, Keith Jarrett on piano, and Jack DeJohnette on drums, the group achieved international recognition. Lloyd’s album “Forest Flower” (1966), recorded at Monterey Jazz Festival, featured McBee’s composition “Song of Her,” which became a jazz standard. During this period, McBee also worked with Pharoah Sanders, Yusef Lateef, and Charles Tolliver on Blue Note, Impulse!, and Atlantic recordings.

McBee’s association with Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders defined his reputation in the 1970s. On Alice Coltrane’s “Journey in Satchidananda” (1970, Impulse!), he played resonant double bass lines alongside Coltrane’s harp, Sanders’ soprano saxophone, and Rashied Ali’s drums. Sanders invited him to record “Thembi” (1971, Impulse!), where Sanders requested a solo bass introduction. McBee improvised freely, producing the track “Love,” a performance that brought him international recognition and showcased his sophisticated use of space and tone.

McBee’s leadership debut came with “Mutima” (1974, Strata-East), featuring tenor saxophonist George Adams, pianist Onaje Allen Gumbs, drummer Jimmy Hopps, and vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater. His work with Enja Records yielded “Music from the Source” (1978) and “Compassion” (1979) with saxophonist Chico Freeman. “Alternate Spaces” (1979, India Navigation) demonstrated his mastery of free improvisation, though it received limited American recognition. McBee won a Grammy Award in 1988 for “Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane” (1987), recorded with Pharoah Sanders, David Murray, McCoy Tyner, and Roy Haynes. He received two National Endowment for the Arts composition grants in the 1980s and 1990s.

McBee joined the faculty of New England Conservatory in Boston, teaching for over 25 years. He served as artist in residence at Harvard from 2010 to 2011 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991. He continues performing with The Cookers supergroup alongside Billy Hart and has published “Anthology of String Bass Improvisation” (Books I–III) with original etudes for students. His compositions are frequently recorded by contemporary ensembles and performed at European festivals and American conservatories. Approaching 90, McBee remains an active performer and educator representing six decades of influence on post-bop jazz rhythm sections.