originally published: 07/30/2025
Photo by Evelyn Freja
On July 30, 2025, nine-time GRAMMY® Award winning bassist / composer Christian McBride released a stunning rendition of the beloved jazz standard "Old Folks" featuring five-time GRAMMY® Award winner Samara Joy. It's the second single from McBride's upcoming release Without Further Ado, Vol 1, a new album featuring his acclaimed big band and an all star cast of special guests.
Following up his big band’s GRAMMY® Award winning 2020 release For Jimmy, Wes & Oliver, the new release employs a jaw-dropping array of talent, featuring Sting, Andy Summers, Samara Joy, Dianne Reeves, José James, Cécille McLorin Salvant, Jeffrey Osborne, and Antoinette Henry to bridge eras with elegance and groove, reaffirming McBride’s status as a champion of jazz past, present and future. The album will be released on August 29 via Mack Avenue Records, and is currently available for preorder here.
When asked about the performance, McBride reflects, “Often times, jazz can get so deep into its own vacuum, we forget what’s the most important thing - emotion. Many jazz critics will tell you it’s process or concept, but if nobody can feel it, what good is either? Samara Joy doesn’t have that issue. She always emotes. I have a strong feeling that after you hear her interpret ‘Old Folks,’ you will intimately understand just who ‘Old Folks’ was, and your eyes dare not be dry. Thank you, Samara.”
“‘Old Folks’ could be multiple people that you think about in your life, whether it's family or not” Samara says. “I heard Carmen McRae's, Ernestine Anderson, and Charlie Parker's versions. It was a song that people don't normally record or hear the lyrics to, so I thought about Roy Haynes, Quincy Jones and all of these different people who have so much wisdom bottled up that they share.”
“Old Folks” follows the album’s lead track “Murder By Numbers,” which reunited Sting with his bandmate Andy Summers for the first time since The Police’s 2007-2008 reunion tour. The single was covered by American Songwriter, Consequence, Jambase, Stereogum, SPIN, and many more.
Having played with artists ranging from Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis to Billie Eilish and Celine Dion, several of McBride’s artistic paths converge on Without Further Ado, Vol 1 creating an electrifying collection of reimagined classics and surprises. The inspiration and many of the arrangements for the album grew out of the annual NJPAC Gala, for which the Big Band has served as house band and McBride as musical director since 2012.
“We've always invited a bunch of great singers to come and perform at the Gala,” McBride says, “and as musical director, I’m responsible for arranging all of the music. After so many years of writing big band charts for these incredible singers, I realized that I had stacks of music that had only been played once. This has been a fantastic opportunity to finally record some of these arrangements and to play them with some of my favorite singers.”
If there is any doubt that we are living through a vocal jazz renaissance, the multi-generational line-up of singers McBride has assembled for Without Further Ado, Vol 1 definitively settles that debate. From Samara Joy’s breathtaking version of the jazz standard “Old Folks,” to three-time GRAMMY® winner Cécil Mclorin Salvant’s burning, uptempo reinterpretation of Cole Porter’s dreamy ballad “All Through The Night”, Without Further Ado, Vol 1 is like a vocal all-star game that’s heightened by the elegance and fire of the Christian McBride Big Band.
Ahead of the album release, the Christian McBride Big Band will be performing at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 3, where they’ll perform some of the new music from the album. In 2026 McBride will launch the first ever McBride’s World at Sea cruise, featuring performances with all of his critically acclaimed bands and loads of special guests onboard, including Samara Joy.
Christian McBride is a nine-time GRAMMY®-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. He is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, the New Jersey Performing Art Center’s TD James Moody Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride is also a respected educator and advocate for youth, serving as Artistic Director of JAZZ HOUSE KiDS and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions.
In addition to artistic directing and consistent touring with his ensembles, he hosts NPR’s “Jazz Night in America” and “The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian” on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always part of the music. From jazz to R&B, and pop/rock and hip-hop/neo-soul to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him. McBride’s 2024 album But Who’s Gonna Play The Melody? was recorded with renowned bassist, composer, and seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winner Edgar Meyer. Released via Mack Avenue Records, the album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Crossover chart.
Samara Joy is a 5x Grammy Award winner, born and raised in the Bronx. The 25-year-old grew up immersed in music, inspired by classic R&B, gospel, and a rich family legacy that includes her father, musician Antonio McLendon, and grandparents from the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes. She discovered jazz while studying at SUNY Purchase, where she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and quickly gained recognition as a "once in a generation" vocalist. Her self-titled 2021 debut was followed by Linger Awhile, her Grammy-winning breakthrough on Verve, earning accolades including Grammy Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album.
With her latest album Portrait, co-produced with Brian Lynch, Joy deepens her artistry through original lyrics and inventive arrangements that honor jazz legends like Charles Mingus and Barry Harris while forging her own path forward. Portrait was awarded the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album, further solidifying her place among the genre’s most vital voices. Joy’s global tour, which recently included her anticipated sold-out Carnegie Hall debut in her hometown of New York City, will continue throughout 2025.
Tracklist:
1) Murder By Numbers (ft. Sting & Andy Summers)
2) Back In Love Again (ft. Jeffrey Osborne)
3) Old Folks (ft. Samara Joy)
4) Moanin’ (ft. José James)
5) All Through The Night (ft. Cécile McLorin Salvant)
6) Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (ft. Dianne Reeves)
7) Come Rain or Come Shine (ft. Antoinette Henry)
8) Op. 49 - Cold Chicken Suite, 3rd Movement
COLUMNS
This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts from January 13-19, 2026
Here is a look at shows taking place from January 13-19, 2026 along with our featured listings and a look at some upcoming shows. New Jersey Stage offers previews of concerts throughout the Garden State as well as select shows in New York City and Philadelphia areas.
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