Montclair’s Christian McBride Wins 7th Grammy, Mourns Chick Corea

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Famed Montclair jazz maestro Christian McBride captured his seventh Grammy Award for “Best Instrumental Jazz Album” on Sunday night. But the real honor was getting to call the late, great Chick Corea a friend, he says.

McBride, who serves as the artistic director at local nonprofit, Jazz House Kids, earned his 2021 Grammy nod for “Trilogy 2,” which was recorded with Chick Corea and Brian Blade.

During his multi-decade career, McBride has appeared in hundreds of recordings and played alongside some of jazz’s biggest names, including Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and Freddy Hubbard, as well as pop stars ranging from James Brown to Sting and Carly Simon.

McBride posted a heartfelt and humble message on social media after his latest Grammy victory. He wrote:

"I could say something like ‘we’ won this Grammy, and considering this album was officially released as a cooperative and not a ‘Chick Corea Trio’ album, using ‘we’ would technically be correct. But the real truth is what Brian Blade and I ‘won’ was the opportunity to play with Chick Corea in this trio for over 10 years. Chick tried so hard to convince me and Brian that this was NOT the ‘Chick Corea Trio,’ but a cooperative group of equals. Brian and I will forever love him for that, but we knew better. He was too much of a giant to us. A friend, but still a giant."

McBride continued:

"I remember on one of our many tours, Chick asked me and Brian to write some new tunes for the trio. It was much too tall of a request for me. When one of the greatest composers and bandleaders in history asks you to write some music, you start biting your fingernails. Some would jump at that opportunity, but Brian and I were like, ‘Uhhhhh, yeah, ssssure, Chick.’ With hundreds of thousands of miles logged on the road together, our lives were enriched and enhanced being in Chick’s universe - and that doesn’t just go for Brian and myself, that goes for any of us who were fortunate enough to know, play and/or record with Chick. With that, while I’m very proud of our Grammy, the real AWARD was getting to call Chick Corea, a friend and cohort. Thank you, Chick, Brian and the Recording Academy / GRAMMYs."

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