The McKee Brothers

Enjoy It While You Can

Independent

The accompanying publicity sheet states that “Enjoy It While You Can”…features great performances by a talented roster of players from Los Angeles and Michigan…” I will list them later. But who are these McKee Brothers that they can attract such a talented ensemble when this is their first official release together.

Denis McKee, eleven years younger, lives in Los Angeles, California while his older brother Ralph lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They seldom get to make music together. Their individual credits are many but I tried to decipher the important ones. In 1995 guitarist Denis McKee was in a band called Avenue Groove along with keyboardist Bobby West and Doug Webb. In 2001 the brothers played together and recorded a large number of tracks some with the Ann Arbor band “Los Gatos”. There may have been a limited edition release called The McKee Brothers “Latin Adventure”. West penned six more tunes. Brother Ralph has played with The All Directions Band, Big Fun, and the Pulsations. He can still be seen with The All Directions Band and in an alt-country band also based out of Ann Arbor called “Hoodang”; their latest album is 2013’s “Blissfield” named after a local highway.

The band includes Denis McKee, guitar, keyboards, bass, vocals; Ralph McKee, bass, vocals, and lapsteel; Melissa Mei McKee, lead and backing vocals; old friend Stan Budzynski, slide guitar; Jerome Edmonson, drums; West, keyboards; Bobby Watson, bass; Bob Schultz, former organist for Bob Seger, lead and backing vocals; Larry McCray, guitar and vocal; Kirk Fletcher, guitar; Jim Alfredson whose credits include Janiva Magness, Root Doctor, and more, Hammond Organ; Duncan McMillan, Wurlitzer electric piano; Lee Thornburg from Tower of Power, trumpet, trombone, flugelhorn, and horn arrangements; Webb, saxes; Maxayn Lewis, vocals; Reggie Gonzales, vocals; Sophia Hanifi from Hoodang, vocals; Jonathan Ovalle, percussion; two additional drummers and four additional guitarists.

The opener “One of Us Gots Ta Go” written by West, features the soulful voice of Schultz. Fletcher is on lead guitar while McKee is on rhythm. West plays piano; Alfredson, organ and McMillan the Wurlitzer. The horns are by Thornburg and Webb. The rhythm section is Ralph McKee and Edmondson. This is an unusually funky groove. “Guaranteed”, also written by West features another soulful vocal from Schultz and a fabulous piano solo from West.

Other highlights include three songs written by Denis McKee “A Little Bit of Soul” sung by guitarist McCray; the title track “Enjoy It While You Can”; and “Desperate Situation” featuring solos by Webb and Thornburg.

There are also three great covers. The Dr. John/Jesse Hill “Qualified”; Earl Kings “It All Went Down The Drain” and Patti Griffin’s “Up The Mountain”.

This recording is one of those funky magic moments. I hope we get to hear more from The McKee Brothers.

Richard Ludmerer