Cecil McBee (born May 19, 1935) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low b ...

. He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo ...

to a number of jazz albums.

Biography

Early life and career

McBee was born in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...

, 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 Central State University (CSU) is a public, historically black land-grant university in Wilberforce, Ohio. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Established by the state legislature in 1887 as a two-year program for te ...

, McBee spent two years in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, during which time he conducted the band at

Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold re ...

. In 1959, he played with

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

, and in 1962 he moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

, where he worked with

Paul Winter Paul Winter (born August 31, 1939) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He is a pioneer of world music and earth music, which interweaves the voices of the wild with instrumental voices from classical, jazz and world music. The ...

'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 New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, when he began playing and recording with a number of significant musicians including

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, Andrew Hill,

Sam Rivers Sam Rivers may refer to: * Sam Rivers (jazz musician) Samuel Carthorne Rivers (September 25, 1923 – December 26, 2011) was an American jazz musician and composer. Though most famously a tenor saxophonist, he also performed on soprano saxophone ...

Jackie McLean John Lenwood "Jackie" McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, and is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their deat ...

(1964),

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles D ...

(1965–66), Charles Lloyd (1966), Yusef Lateef (1967–69),

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives ...

and

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

(1986), and

Alice Coltrane Alice Coltrane (' McLeod; August 27, 1937January 12, 2007), also known by her adopted Sanskrit name Turiyasangitananda, was an American jazz musician and composer, and in her later years a swamini. An accomplished pianist and one of the few har ...

(1969–72).

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 Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

from 2010 to 2011. He teaches at the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music Music school, conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The ...

in Boston, Massachusetts.

Awards

*1991 he was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

Grammys

*'' Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane'' (MCA, 1987),

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of " sheets of sound", ...

/ David Murray/

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet (from 1960 to 1965) and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Master and five-time Gram ...

/Cecil McBee/

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jaz ...

– Winner, Best instrumental performance, individual or group, Grammy Awards, 1988.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* 1975: '' Mutima'' ( Strata-East) * 1977: ''Almanac'' (Improvising Artists) with Mike Nock,

Bennie Maupin Bennie Maupin (born August 29, 1940) is an American jazz multireedist who performs on various saxophones, flute, and bass clarinet. Maupin was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He is known for his participation in Herbie Hancock's Mwand ...

, Eddie Marshall – recorded in 1967 * 1977: ''

Music from the Source ''Music from the Source'' is a live album by bassist Cecil McBee's Sextet recorded at Sweet Basil in 1977 and released on the Enja label.

'' ( Enja) * 1977: ''

Compassion Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to relieve the physical, mental or emotional pains of others and themselves. Compassion is often regarded as being sensitive to the emotional aspects of the suffering of others. When based on n ...

'' (Enja) * 1979: ''

Alternate Spaces ''Alternate Spaces'' is an album led by bassist Cecil McBee recorded in 1979 and first released on the India Navigation label. Reception In his review for AllMusic, Scott Yanow stated "The often melodic but unpredictable music definitely hold ...

'' (

India Navigation India Navigation was an American record company and independent record label that specialized in avant-garde jazz in the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded by Bob Cummins, a corporate lawyer who helped jazz musicians with legal matters. Its catalogu ...

) * 1982: '' Flying Out'' (India Navigation) * 1986: '' Roots of Blue'' (RPR) – duets with

Muhal Richard Abrams Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the free jazz medium. He recorded and toured the Uni ...

* 1997: ''Unspoken'' ( Palmetto)

As sideman

With George Adams *''

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

'' (Blue Note, 1990) With Ray Anderson *'' Old Bottles - New Wine'' (Enja, 1985) With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

* '' Blues for a Reason'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 1985) With Bill Barron *''

Live at Cobi's 2 ''Live at Cobi's 2'' is a live album by saxophonist Bill Barron which was recorded in 1985 and released posthumously on the SteepleChase label in 2006.

'' (SteepleChase, 1985

006 Alec Trevelyan (006) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1995 James Bond film '' GoldenEye'', the first film to feature actor Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Trevelyan is portrayed by actor Sean Bean. The likeness of Bean as Ale ...

With

Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philade ...

*''

Landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

'' (Baystate, 1984) * '' What If?'' (Enja, 1986) *''

Live at Fat Tuesdays ''Live at Fat Tuesdays'' is a live album by pianist Kenny Barron that was recorded in 1988 and released on the German Enja label.Fitzgerald, MKenny Barron Discography accessed January 20, 2017. Reception In his review on Allmusic, Ron Wynn ...

'' (Enja, 1988) With the

Bob Thiele Collective The Bob Thiele Collective was an "all-star" American jazz ensemble which recorded three albums for Bob Thiele's record label Red Baron. Thiele assembled and produced the three different groups. Discography *1990: ''Sunrise Sunset'' ( David Murray, ...

* ''Sunrise Sunset'' (Red Baron, 1990) With

Joanne Brackeen Joanne Brackeen (born Joanne Grogan; July 26, 1938) is an American jazz pianist and music educator. Music career Brackeen was born in Ventura, California, United States, and attended the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music. She was a fan of pop pi ...

* '' Snooze'' (Choice, 1975) *'' Tring-a-Ling'' (Choice, 1977) *'' Havin' Fun'' (Concord Jazz, 1985) *'' Fi-Fi Goes to Heaven'' (Concord Jazz, 1986) *'' Turnaround'' (Evidence, 1992) With Dollar Brand * ''African Space Program'' (Enja, 1973) With

Anthony Braxton Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Ch ...

* '' Eight (+3) Tristano Compositions, 1989: For Warne Marsh'' (hatArt, 1989) With Roy Brooks * ''

The Free Slave ''The Free Slave'' is a live album by drummer Roy Brooks recorded in 1970 and released on the Muse label in 1972. It was the third album released on the label. Reception ''The Free Slave'', according to Jim Dulzo in '' JazzTimes'' in 2003, "catc ...

'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...

, 1970

972 Year 972 ( CMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – Emperor John I Tzimiskes divides the Bulgarian territories, recent ...

With

Joe Chambers Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

* ''

The Almoravid ''The Almoravid'' is the debut album led by drummer Joe Chambers recorded in 1971 and 1973 and released on the Muse label.Alice Coltrane Alice Coltrane (' McLeod; August 27, 1937January 12, 2007), also known by her adopted Sanskrit name Turiyasangitananda, was an American jazz musician and composer, and in her later years a swamini. An accomplished pianist and one of the few har ...

* '' Journey in Satchidananda'' ( Impulse!, 1970) * '' Carnegie Hall '71'' (Hi Hat, 2018) With

Junior Cook Herman "Junior" Cook (July 22, 1934 – February 3, 1992) was an American hard bop tenor saxophone player. Biography Cook was born in Pensacola, Florida. After playing with Dizzy Gillespie in 1958, Cook was a member of the Horace Silver Quin ...

*''

Pressure Cooker Pressure cooking is the process of cooking food under high pressure steam and water or a water-based cooking liquid, in a sealed vessel known as a ''pressure cooker''. High pressure limits boiling, and creates higher cooking temperatures whic ...

'' (Catalyst, 1977) With Stanley Cowell * '' Equipoise'' (

Galaxy A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System ...

, 1979) * ''

Close to You Alone ''Close to You Alone'' is an album by keyboardist and composer Stanley Cowell recorded in 1990 and first released on the Japanese DIW label. This recording came about due to a short tour led by drummer, composer Ronnie Burrage. The record compan ...

'' ( DIW, 1990) With Ted Curson * '' Blue Piccolo'' ( Whynot, 1976) With

Ricky Ford Ricky Ford (born March 4, 1954) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Ford was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States,) and studied at the New England Conservatory. Ricky Ford AllMusic In 1974, he recorded with Gunther Schulle ...

*'' Looking Ahead'' (Muse. 1986) With

Chico Freeman Chico Freeman (born Earl Lavon Freeman Jr.; July 17, 1949) is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist and trumpeter and son of jazz saxophonist Von Freeman. He began recording as lead musician in 1976 with ''Morning Prayer'', won the New York Jazz Award ...

* ''

Morning Prayer Morning Prayer may refer to: Religion * Prayers in various traditions said during the morning * Morning Prayer (Anglican), one of the two main Daily Offices in the churches of the Anglican Communion * In Roman Catholicism: ** Morning offering of ...

'' (India Navigation, 1976) * '' Chico'' (India Navigation, 1977) * '' The Outside Within'' (India Navigation, 1978) * ''

Kings of Mali ''Kings Of Mali'' is a post-bop/avant-garde jazz LP by Chico Freeman on India Navigation Records IN 1035 in September 1977 and released in 1978. The lp, like many others recorded and produced by India Navigation in New York city, featured many of ...

'' (India Navigation, 1978) * '' Spirit Sensitive'' (India Navigation, 1979) * ''

Destiny's Dance ''Destiny's Dance'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Chico Freeman, recorded in 1981 and released on the Contemporary label.

'' (

Contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

, 1981) With

Hal Galper Harold Galper (born April 18, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, and writer. Biography He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Galper studied classical piano as a boy, but switched to jazz w ...

*'' Now Hear This'' (Enja, 1977) With Johnny Griffin * '' Birds and Ballads'' (1978) With

Louis Hayes Louis Hayes (born May 31, 1937) is an American jazz drummer and band leader. He was with McCoy Tyner's trio for more than three years. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band. He ...

*'' Variety Is the Spice'' (Gryphon, 1978) With

*''

Thank You Thank You ''Thank You Thank You'' is an album by drummer Roy Haynes which was recorded in 1977 and released on the Galaxy label.Vistalite'' (Galaxy, 1977

979 Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...

With Andrew Hill * '' Compulsion!'' (Blue Note, 1965) With

and

* ''

Double Take Double take may refer to: Films, radio, and television * ''Double Take'' (1998 film), a 1998 thriller * ''Double Take'' (2001 film), a 2001 comedy * ''Double Take'' (2009 film), a 2009 film * Double Take (American TV series), a 2018 hidden cam ...

'' (Blue Note, 1986) With

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

* ''

Power Trio A power trio is a rock and roll band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit (drums and cymbals), leaving out a second rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...

'' ( Novus, 1990) – with

John Hicks Sir John Richards Hicks (8 April 1904 – 20 May 1989) was a British economist. He is considered one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economic ...

* ''

When I Was at Aso-Mountain ''When I Was at Aso-Mountain'' is an album by jazz drummer Elvin Jones introducing Japanese pianist Takehisa Tanaka recorded in 1990 and released on the Enja label in 1993.

'' (Enja, 1990) * '' Elvin Jones Jazz Machine'' (Trio, 1997) * ''

It Don't Mean a Thing "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills. It is now accepted as a jazz standard, and jazz historian Gunther Schuller characterized it as "now legendary" and "a prophe ...

'' (Enja, 1993) With

Clifford Jordan Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after ...

* '' Two Tenor Winner'' ( Criss Cross, 1984) With

John Klemmer John T. Klemmer (born July 3, 1946) is an American saxophonist, composer, songwriter, and arranger. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and began playing guitar at the age of five and alto saxophone at the age of 11. His other ear ...

* ''

Magic and Movement ''Magic and Movement'' is a live album by American saxophonist and composer John Klemmer featuring studio enhanced live performances recorded in Los Angeles for the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1974) With

Prince Lasha William B. Lawsha, better known as Prince Lasha (), (September 10, 1929 – December 12, 2008) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, baritone saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist and English horn player. Life and career He was born in Fort Wor ...

* '' Inside Story'' (Enja, 1965

981 Year 981 ( CMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events Births * Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi, Arab statesman (d. 1027) * Giovanni Orseolo, Venetian ...

With Yusef Lateef * ''

The Complete Yusef Lateef ''The Complete Yusef Lateef'' is an album by multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef recorded in 1967 and released on the Atlantic label.The Blue Yusef Lateef'' (Atlantic, 1968) * ''

Yusef Lateef's Detroit ''Yusef Lateef's Detroit'' (subtitled ''Latitude 42° 30′ Longitude 83°'') is an album by multi-instrumentalist Yusef Lateef recorded in 1969 (with one track from '' The Complete Yusef Lateef'' recording sessions in 1967) and released on the A ...

'' (Atlantic, 1969) * ''

The Diverse Yusef Lateef ''The Diverse Yusef Lateef'' is a jazz album by saxophone, saxophonist Yusef Lateef released in 1970. In it are mixed influences from rhythm and blues and soul music (particularly on "Live Humble") and world music (notably on "A Long Time Ago" or ...

'' (Atlantic, 1970) With The Leaders * '' Mudfoot'' (Black Hawk, 1986) * '' Out Here Like This'' (

Black Saint Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

, 1987) * '' Heaven Dance'' ( Sunnyside, 1988) – The Leaders Trio with pianist Kirk Lightsey and drummer Don Moye * ''

Unforeseen Blessings ''Unforeseen Blessings'' is a jazz album released in 1989. It was the third album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders and the second to be released on the Italian Black Saint label. The album features performances by Lester Bowie, Chico Freem ...

'' (Black Saint, 1988) * ''

Slipping and Sliding ''Slipping and Sliding'' is an album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders. It was recorded in June 1993 and January 1994 in Brooklyn, New York, and was released in 1994 by the Japanese label Sound Hills Records. The album features performances by ...

'' (Sound Hills, 1994) * ''

Spirits Alike ''Spirits Alike'' is an album by the all-star jazz group The Leaders. It was recorded in August 2006 in New Jersey, and was released later that year by Double Moon Records. The album features performances by a reconstituted version of the band: or ...

'' (Double Moon, 2006) With

Dave Liebman David Liebman (born September 4, 1946) is an American saxophonist, flautist and jazz educator. He is known for his innovative lines and use of atonality. He was a frequent collaborator with pianist Richie Beirach. In June 2010, he received ...

* ''The Seasons'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

, 1992) * ''John Coltrane's Meditations'' (

Arkadia Jazz Arkadia Records is an independent record label that was founded in 1996. The label was founded in New York City by Bob Karcy, who had been a manager for musicians and an independent record producer. The first release was Billy Taylor's ''Music Kee ...

, 1998) With Charles Lloyd * ''

Dream Weaver "Dream Weaver" is a song by the American singer Gary Wright, released as the first single from his third studio album ''The Dream Weaver'' in December 1975. Origins and instrumentation The track features Wright on vocals and keyboards and Jim ...

'' (1966,

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

) * ''

Forest Flower ''Forest Flower: Charles Lloyd at Monterey'' is a live album by jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1966 by the Charles Lloyd Quartet featuring Keith Jarrett, Cecil McBee and Jack DeJohnette. Reception The A ...

'' (1966, Atlantic) * '' The Flowering'' (1966, Atlantic) * '' Charles Lloyd in Europe'' (1966, Atlantic) With

Raphe Malik Raphe Malik, born Laurence Mazel (November 1, 1948 in Cambridge, Massachusetts – March 8, 2006 in Guilford, Vermont) was an American jazz trumpeter. Career Malik studied at the University of Massachusetts (1966–70), then moved to Paris, whe ...

* '' Storyline'' (Boxholder, 1999) – with Cody Moffett With Joe Maneri * '' Dahabenzapple'' (hat ART, 1993

996 Year 996 ( CMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Emp ...

With

* '' It's Time!'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

, 1964) * ''

Action Action Action ''Action Action Action'' (aka ''Action'') is an album by American saxophonist Jackie McLean recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1964) With Lloyd McNeill * ''Treasures'' (1976) With Charles McPherson * ''

New Horizons ''New Horizons'' is an interplanetary space probe that was launched as a part of NASA's New Frontiers program. Engineered by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), with a ...

'' ( Xanadu, 1977) With Grachan Moncur III * ''

Some Other Stuff ''Some Other Stuff'' is the second album by American trombonist Grachan Moncur III recorded in 1964 and released on the Blue Note label in 1965.

'' (Blue Note, 1964) With Tisziji Munoz * ''Rendezvous With Now'' (India Navigation, 1978) * ''Visiting This Planet'' (Anami Music, 1988) * ''Presence of Joy'' (Anami Music, 1999) * ''Divine Radiance'' (Anami Music, 2003) With

Amina Claudine Myers Amina Claudine Myers (born March 21, 1942) is an American jazz pianist, organist, vocalist, composer, and arranger. Biography Born in Blackwell, Arkansas, "Myers was brought up largely by her great-aunt, a schoolteacher, and her great-uncle, a c ...

* ''

Salutes Bessie Smith ''Salutes Bessie Smith'' is the second album by American pianist Amina Claudine Myers featuring performances recorded in 1980 for the Leo label. Reception The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos awarded the album 4½ stars stating "Vocal perfe ...

'' ( Leo, 1980) With

Almanac An almanac (also spelled ''almanack'' and ''almanach'') is an annual publication listing a set of current information about one or multiple subjects. It includes information like weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, tide tables, and othe ...

* ''Almanac'' ( Improvising Artists, 1977) With

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was know ...

* '' Winter Moon'' (Galaxy, 1980) With Dannie Richmond * '' "In" Jazz for the Culture Set'' (Impulse!, 1965) With

* '' Dimensions & Extensions'' (Blue Note, 1967) * ''

Streams A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams a ...

'' (Impulse!, 1973) * '' Hues'' (Impulse!, 1973) With

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Was ...

* '' Social Call'' (Uptown, 1984) with

Red Rodney Robert Roland Chudnick (September 27, 1927 – May 27, 1994), known professionally as Red Rodney, was an American jazz trumpeter. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he became a professional musician at 15, working in the mid-1940 ...

With

Buddy Tate George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All A ...

and Dollar Brand * ''Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand'' (

Chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...

, 1977) With

* ''

Izipho Zam (My Gifts) ''Izipho Zam (My Gifts)'' is the third album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1969 but not released on the Strata-East Records, Strata-East label until 1973. It features Sanders with a large ensemble. Reception In his review for ...

'' (Strata-East, 1969

973 Year 973 ( CMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – The Byzantine army, led by General Melias (Domestic of the S ...

* '' Jewels of Thought'' (Impulse!, 1969) * ''

Thembi ''Thembi'' is the seventh album by free jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, released in 1971. Overview Sanders moved away from the long, intense compositions of his earlier albums and produced an album of shorter tracks. He and other musicians pl ...

'' ( Impulse!, 1970) * ''

Black Unity ''Black Unity'' is a composition and album by jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, recorded and released in late 1971. The whole album consists of a single thirty-seven-minute track, which was described by critic Joe S. Harrington as "an exercise in s ...

'' (Impulse!, 1971) * '' Live at the East'' (Impulse!, 1972) * ''

Village of the Pharoahs ''Village of the Pharoahs'' is the eighth album by American saxophonist and composer Pharoah Sanders, released in 1973 on the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1973) * ''

Love in Us All ''Love in Us All'' is an album by American saxophonist and composer Pharoah Sanders released on the Impulse! Records, Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1973) * ''

Wisdom Through Music ''Wisdom Through Music'' is an album by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It was recorded in New York City and Los Angeles, California, and was released in 1973 by Impulse! Records. On the album, Sanders is joined by flutist James Branch, pianist Joe B ...

'' (Impulse!, 1973) With various artists * ''

The New Wave in Jazz ''The New Wave in Jazz'' is a live album recorded on March 28, 1965 at the Village Gate in New York City. It features groups led by major avant-garde jazz artists performing at a concert for the benefit of The Black Arts Repertory Theater/School ...

'' (Impulse!, 1965) With Saxophone Summit * ''Gathering of Spirits'' ( Telarch, 2004) With Zbigniew Seifert * ''Man of the Light'' (MPS Records, 1977) With

* ''

The Moontrane ''The Moontrane'' is the third album led by trumpeter Woody Shaw which was recorded in 1974 and released on the Muse label.Love Dance ''Love Dance'' is the fourth album led by trumpeter Woody Shaw which was recorded in 1975 and released on the Muse label.The Iron Men'' with

(Muse, 1977

980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) a ...

With

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

* '' Lady Bird'' (

Denon is a Japanese electronics company started in 1910 by Frederick Whitney Horn, an American entrepreneur. Denon produced the first cylinder audio media in Japan and players to play them. Decades later, Denon was involved in the early stages of de ...

, 1978) With

* ''

Et Cetera ''Et Cetera'' ( or (proscribed) , ), abbreviated to ''etc.'', ''etc'', ''et cet.'', ''&c.'' or ''&c'' is a Latin expression that is used in English to mean "and other similar things", or "and so forth". Translated literally from Latin, means 'an ...

'' (Blue Note, 1965) * ''

Odyssey of Iska ''Odyssey of Iska'' is the fourteenth album by American jazz composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, released on Blue Note Records in 1971. Musicians include guitarist Gene Bertoncini, bassists Ron Carter and Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart, ...

'' (Blue Note, 1970) With

Sonny Simmons Huey "Sonny" Simmons (August 4, 1933 – April 6, 2021) was an American jazz musician. Biography Simmons was born on August 4, 1933 in Sicily Island, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California, where he began playing the English horn. (Along w ...

* ''

Burning Spirits ''Burning Spirits'' is a double album by American jazz saxophonist Sonny Simmons (credited as Huey Simmons on the initial release), which was recorded in 1970 and released on the Contemporary label. Reception AllMusic awarded the album four st ...

'' (Contemporary, 1971) With

Lonnie Liston Smith Lonnie Liston Smith Jr. (born December 28, 1940) is an American jazz, soul, and funk musician who played with such jazz artists as Pharoah Sanders and Miles Davis before forming Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes, recording a number of ...

*''

Astral Traveling ''Astral Traveling'' is the debut album by keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith, featuring performances recorded in 1973 and released by the Flying Dutchman label.Expansions'' (Flying Dutchman, 1975) * ''

Rejuvenation Rejuvenation is a medical discipline focused on the practical reversal of the aging process. Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension. Life extension strategies often study the causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow ...

'' (Doctor Jazz, 1985) *'' Make Someone Happy'' (Doctor Jazz, 1986) With

and Dollar Brand *''

Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand ''Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand'', reissued as ''Buddy Tate Meets Abdullah Ibrahim: The Legendary Encounter'', is an album by saxophonist Buddy Tate and pianist Dollar Brand which was recorded in New York City in 1977 and released on the Chiaros ...

'' (Chiaroscuro, 1977) With

Leon Thomas Amos Leon Thomas Jr. (October 4, 1937 – May 8, 1999), known professionally as Leon Thomas, was an American jazz and blues vocalist, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and known for his bellowing glottal-stop style of free jazz singing in the ...

* ''

Spirits Known and Unknown ''Spirits Known and Unknown'' , subtitled ''New Vocal Frontiers'', is the debut album by American jazz vocalist and percussionist Leon Thomas recorded in 1969 and released by the Flying Dutchman label.Horace Tapscott Horace Elva Tapscott (April 6, 1934 – February 27, 1999) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He formed the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (also known as P.A.P.A., or The Ark) in 1961 and led the ensemble through the 1990s. Early lif ...

* ''

The Dark Tree ''The Dark Tree'' is a live album by pianist Horace Tapscott recorded in 1989 and released on the Hat ART label as two separate volumes in 1991.

'', Vol. 1 & 2 (hatOLOGY, 1989) With

Charles Tolliver Charles Tolliver (born 1942) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and co-founder of Strata East Records. Biography Tolliver was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1942 and moved with his family to New York City when he was 10. During his ch ...

* '' Live at Slugs''', Volume I & II (Strata-East, 1970) * ''

Music Inc. ''Music Inc.'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Charles Tolliver's Music Inc. with a Big Band recorded in 1970 and first released on the Strata-East label.

'' (Strata-East, 1971) * ''

Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a high force or shock (mechanics) over a short time period * Impact, Texas, a town in Taylor County, Texas, US Science and technology * Impact crater, a meteor crater caused by an impact event * Imp ...

'' (Strata-East, 1975) With

Mickey Tucker Mickey Tucker (born Michael B. Tucker; April 28, 1941) is an American jazz pianist and organist. Biography Tucker was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1941. He grew up in Rankin, Pennsylvania before moving back to North Carolina aged 12. When h ...

* '' Sojourn'' (Xanadu, 1977) * '' Mister Mysterious'' (Muse, 1978) With

* '' Quartets 4 X 4'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...

, 1980) * '' Blues for Coltrane'' (1987) With

James "Blood" Ulmer James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been called "ragg ...

* '' Revealing'' (1977) With

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

* ''

What It Is What It Is may refer to: Music Album * What It Is (Boogaloo Joe Jones album), ''What It Is'' (Boogaloo Joe Jones album), 1971 * ''What It Is'', a Cordelia's Dad album * What It Is (Mal Waldron album), ''What It Is'' (Mal Waldron album), 1981 * W ...

'' (Enja, 1981) With Michael White * ''

The Land of Spirit and Light ''The Land of Spirit and Light'' is an album by American violinist and composer Michael White, featuring performances recorded in 1973 and released on the Impulse! label.

'' (Impulse!, 1973) With

* ''Jazz Meets the Folk-Song'' (1963) With

Yōsuke Yamashita is a Japanese jazz pianist, composer and writer. His piano style is influenced by free jazz, modal jazz and soul jazz. Since the late 1980s, Yamashita's main performing group has consisted of Cecil McBee (bass), Pheeroan akLaff (drums), and oft ...

* ''Sakura'' (Verve, 1990) * ''Kurdish Dance'' (Verve, 1993) * ''Dazzling Days'' (Verve, 1993) * ''Fragments 1999'' (Verve, 1999) * ''Spider'' (Verve, 1996) * ''Delightful Contrast'' (Universal, 2011) With

Denny Zeitlin Denny Zeitlin (born April 10, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and clinical professor of psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco. Since 1963, he has recorded more than 100 compositions and was a first-place winner in the ...

* ''Cathexis'' (Columbia, 1963) With Norman Connors * ''Dance of Magic'' (Sony Music Entertainment, 1972)

References

External links

* Allmusic biographybr>Cecil McBee Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2020) {{DEFAULTSORT:McBee, Cecil 1935 births Living people Musicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma Post-bop jazz musicians American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists Grammy Award winners New England Conservatory faculty Strata-East Records artists India Navigation artists Enja Records artists Inner City Records artists Palmetto Records artists Jazz musicians from Oklahoma 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Almanac (band) members The Leaders members Improvising Artists Records artists NoBusiness Records artists