He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a sideman to a number of classic jazz albums.

[1] After gaining a music degree from Ohio Central State University, McBee spent two years in the U.S. Army, during which time he conducted the band at Fort Knox.

[1] In 1959, he played with Dinah Washington, and in 1962 he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he worked with Paul Winter's folk-rock ensemble between 1963 and 1964.

[1] His jazz career began to take off in the mid-1960s, after he moved to New York, when he began playing and recording with a number of significant musicians including Miles Davis, Andrew Hill, Sam Rivers, Jackie McLean (1964), Wayne Shorter (1965–66), Charles Lloyd (1966), Yusef Lateef (1967–69), Keith Jarrett, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw (1986), and Alice Coltrane (1969–72).

With Almanac (Mike Nock, Bennie Maupin, McBee, Eddie Marshall) With George Adams With Ray Anderson With Chet Baker With Bill Barron With Kenny Barron With the Bob Thiele Collective With Joanne Brackeen With Dollar Brand With Anthony Braxton With Roy Brooks With Joe Chambers With Alice Coltrane With Junior Cook With Stanley Cowell With Ted Curson With Ricky Ford With Chico Freeman With Hal Galper With Johnny Griffin With Louis Hayes With Roy Haynes With Andrew Hill With Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw With Elvin Jones With Clifford Jordan With John Klemmer With Prince Lasha With Yusef Lateef With The Leaders With Dave Liebman With Charles Lloyd With Raphe Malik With Joe Maneri With Jackie McLean With Lloyd McNeill With Charles McPherson With Grachan Moncur III With Tisziji Munoz With Amina Claudine Myers With Art Pepper With Dannie Richmond With Sam Rivers With Charlie Rouse With Pharoah Sanders With various artists With Saxophone Summit With Zbigniew Seifert With Woody Shaw With Archie Shepp With Wayne Shorter With Sonny Simmons With Lonnie Liston Smith With Buddy Tate and Dollar Brand With Leon Thomas With Horace Tapscott With Charles Tolliver With Mickey Tucker With McCoy Tyner With James "Blood" Ulmer With Mal Waldron With Michael White With Paul Winter With Yōsuke Yamashita With Denny Zeitlin With Norman Connors