Christian McBride’s Ursa Major

Amidst this swirl of activity McBride keeps a close eye out for rising talent, and his working quintet showcases some of the most exciting young players on the scene. Growing by leaps and bounds since the group’s 2022 Miner Auditorium debut, the cast features tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, who has toured with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, performed with veteran masters such as drummer Al Foster, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, and bassist Reggie Workman, and recorded with pianist Aaron Diehl and The Knights’ Grammy-nominated 2023 album Zodiac Suite. Ely Perlman is a young guitarist from Israel who is studying at Berklee College of Music, and Chicago pianist Mike King has been touring with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and trumpeters Marquis Hill, Theo Croker, and Marcus Printup. Powering the band is Oakland native Savannah Harris, a remarkably poised young drummer who’s spent the past two years on the road with vocalist extraordinaire Cécile McLorin Salvant.