The McKee Brothers A Time Like This

The McKee Brothers
A Time Like This
Self-Produced

"A Time Like This" is The McKee Brothers' third album. Only one of the brothers, Denis, is heard on "A Time Like This." This release has McKee on vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, and percussion. He is joined by musicians from Los Angeles and Detroit. These include Bobby West on keyboards; Bobby Watson on bass; Steve Stevens or Vincent Fossett Jr. on drums; Chris Stevens on congas, vibes, and percussion; Lee Thornburg on brass; and Doug Webb on reeds. Others heard include Larry McCray, Joey Delgado, and Stan Budzynski on guitar, and Tim Douthit on harmonica. At the same time, Maxayn Lewis adds backing vocals. Bobby West contributed the bulk of the songs here (several in collaboration with Denis McKee), and Denis and Ralph McKee contribute one each song.

Denis McKee is a most appealing vocalist with a slight touch of sandpaper in his voice, while the backing is terrific. Blues may be the foundation of most performances here, but there are definite jazz, funk, soul, and rock touches. Think about elements of Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Tower of Power combining for The McKee Brothers musical stew. Things start with the soul-tinged "How Can I Miss You Baby?" with its clever use of familiar stock phrases such as "You never miss your water till your cup runs dry." With a relaxed groove, Duothit's mournful harmonica, it kicks off a varied set of performances. Then there are roaring horns and Larry McCray's searing guitar to support McKee's vocal on "Whistleblower Blues."

The title track is a well-crafted soul ballad, while "The Legend of Luther Stringfellow," about a guitar picker who started going crazy. Musically, this song evokes "Ode to Billy Joe." Doug Webb's clarinet and Thornburg's trumpet lend a New Orleans jazz tinge to "Don't Cha Let It Go To Your Head," and it is followed by the swamp-pop flavored "Bluer Than You," with West's piano evoking of some of Fats Domino and Huey Smith recordings from the sixties. McKee's solo on this latter track displays his facility and taste. After the pop-flavored 'Think It Over," the blues return with the unusual "Putt Putt Hustler" about miniature golf. Perhaps not a deep blues lyric but fun nonetheless. Joey Delgado is heard with strong guitar fills and solo, and Duothit's harmonica is also strongly featured. Larry McCray's fiery guitar returns on the rollicking "Dawg" that also features Stan Budzynski's Southern-rock styled slide guitar.

In summary, "A Time Like This" is an eclectic grouping of songs with an engaging pop-blues cast to it. It is marvelously played with brassy horns over a tight rhythm section. Denis McKee is a pleasant and appealing performer who ably fronts a delightful recording. As an aside to this review, while preparing his review, I also listened to the McKee Brothers first album, "Enjoy It While You Can," which featured the strong blues-eyed soul singing of Bob Seger keyboardist Bob Schultz and highly recommend that album as well.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February 2021 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 394). I have made a couple minor edits.

Sunday Feb 17 Promises More Great Mid-Atlantic Jazz

Today is the final installment of  my daily previews of this year's Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival for which I had a preview on January 15.  One week from when this is first posted is the final full day of music for this year's Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.

Standing out on Sunday afternoon is a performance by The Cookers (video clip above), a terrific ensemble comprised of jazz legends pianist George Cables; tenor saxophonist Billy Harper; drummer Billy Hart; bassist Cecil McBee; trumpeter and flugelhorn player Eddie Henderson; flautist and alto saxophonist Craig Handy; and trumpeter David Weiss. Also Sunday afternoon on the main stage will be saxophonist Bruce Williams leading a group with Pat Bianchi on organ. Williams, a Washington DC native, is a member of Ben Riley’s Thelonious Monk Legacy Septet as well as being the newest and youngest member of the World Saxophone Quartet in addition to leading several ensembles on his own. There will also be a performance by San Francisco area saxophonist William O’Neill will lead a group that also features vocalist Kenny Washington.

Sunday evening opens with saxophonist Bobby Watson, and followed by New Orleans vocalist Stephanie Jordan who will be singing a Tribute to Lena Horne. The Ronnie Wells Main Stage will conclude with the multi-award winning organist Joey DeFrancesco (Video clip above) with more hot Hammond B-3 grooves. 

Other highlights of Sunday's program includes Janine Gilbert Carter doing a gospel brunch (and here is a video clip from that). Janine's performance at last year's festival has just been issued on DVD (she used photos of mine for the cover) and it will be a heart-warming time. Performances in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Club includes Darius Scott, Ivy Ambush and Cloudburst. There will be workshops (for example Stephanie Jordan and Kenny Washington will conduct one on scatting) with a number of performers and interviews with The Cookers and Joey DeFrancesco. And in the JukeJoint, Linwood Taylor, one of the Washington area's finest blues guitarists will be holding forth with some powerful music. Taylor, long a local favorite was recently a member of Joe Louis Walker's Band and certainly during the breaks in the Main Stage, he is someone to check out (and a sample of him can be seen in the clip below). Of course, Sunday night will conclude with the Midnight Jam.

Monday morning as some will be checking out, the keyboards of Jackie Hairston, one-time member of Otis Redding's Band and a local favorite who has played with everybody in DC's blues, soul and jazz scene will be playing. Again for more information on the festival, check out http://www.midatlanticjazzfestival.org.