Christian McBride brings Ursa Major to Jimmy's in March

The Grammy-winning bassist and his young quintet play the 350-seat Portsmouth club on Saturday, March 13. Tickets are on sale now.

Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club books big names into a room where you can see their hands, and few names in jazz are bigger right now than the bassist coming in March.

The facts: Christian McBride plays Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club in Portsmouth on Saturday, March 13, 2027, at 7:30 p.m. The date was announced Oct. 22. Tickets run $24.75 to $108.25 through Ticketmaster, whose listing bills the night as Christian McBride and Ursa Major. Jimmy's holds about 350.

Ursa Major is the band to know. McBride formed it in 2022 to put himself alongside four rising players: saxophonist Nicole Glover, guitarist Ely Perlman, keyboardist Mike King and drummer Savannah Harris. No Treble covered the group's first big U.S. tour in 2025, and David Giard described it as McBride bringing along the next generation. SFJAZZ calls it a quintet showcasing several of the most exciting young players on the scene.

The band has stayed busy. This fall alone, it played SFJAZZ's Miner Auditorium in September, two nights at London's Ronnie Scott's in early October, the Enjoy Jazz festival in Heidelberg, and UMass Amherst's Bowker Auditorium on Oct. 22. Portsmouth is in a good spot on that circuit, and the Seacoast gets the band in a much smaller room than most of those.

Ursa Major puts one of jazz's most decorated bassists next to four players on the way up.

That's the case for going. McBride is an 11-time Grammy winner, per Infidels Jazz, and with Ursa Major he isn't revisiting his past. He's picked a band of younger players and given them room. In a 350-seat club, you'll be close enough to watch how the band works things out on stage.

When to buy: now, if you want a good seat. The price range runs from under $25 to over $100, so pick your spot early; the better tables at Jimmy's go first on a night like this. Saturday, March 13, 7:30 p.m. Make a dinner reservation and stay for the whole set.

Sources: Ticketmaster — Christian McBride and Ursa Major, Portsmouth, 03-13-2027 (ticketmaster.com); No Treble — Christian McBride's Latest Project Takes Flight: Ursa Major's 2025 U.S. Tour (notreble.com); David Giard — Christian McBride brings along the next generation of jazz with Ursa Major (davidgiard.com); SFJAZZ — Christian McBride's Ursa Major (sfjazz.org); Ronnie Scott's — Christian McBride Ursa Major (ronniescotts.co.uk); Enjoy Jazz — Christian McBride & Ursa Major (enjoyjazz.de); UMass Amherst — Christian McBride and Ursa Major (arts.umass.edu); Infidels Jazz — 11-time Grammy winner Christian McBride returns (buttondown.com); JamBase — Christian McBride at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club (jambase.com)