The McKee Brothers - A Time Like This - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release. A Time Like This, from The McKee Brothers, and it's bright and bouncy. Opening with How Can I Miss You Baby?, a cool swing blues with a taste of Lyle Lovett. With Denis McKee on lead vocal and guitar, Bobby West on keys, Bobby Watson on bass, Steve Stephens on drums, Lee Thornburg on trumpet, Doug Webb on sax and featuring Tim Douthit on harmonica, it's a cool opener. Soulful shuffle, It Is What It Is, has that easy swing feel that was so much a part of the Memphis sound. McKee, backed by Maxayn Lewis on vocal and with great work on keys by West really carries it nicely. With gospel overtones, Realize has a cool funky feel. The groove is really nice and strong lead work by McKee and backing vocals by Lewis, along with a little Latin spice and Thornburg and Webb's horn punctuation really makes this track one that stands out. With it's driving Fats Domino feel, Bluer Than You has that classic New Orleans piano rhythm and R&B vocal style. Joey Delgado adds some real tasty guitar work under easy shuffle, Putt Putt Hustler, complimented by Douthit's harmonica and the focused horn work by Thornburg and Webb really makes it shine. Rocker, Dawg, has a driving rhythm with Lewis' vocals more prominent and with some real nice slide work from Stan Budzynski and tight drums work by Stephens. Wrapping the release is radio track, Surreal Love, with it's vocal driven lead and smooth melody. Solid closer for a flavorful release. 

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The McKee Brothers - Moon Over Montgomery - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Moon Over Montgomery, by The McKee Brothers and it's flavorful. Opening with Pig Feet, a jazzy track with cool backing vocals, Jeff Robinson on lead vocals, backed by Denis McKee on guitar, Hammond and vocal, Bobby West on keys, Ralph McKee on lap steel, Bobby Watson on bass and particularly Jerome Edmonson on classic drums. Andy Wilson adds a really nice chromatic harp, Bob Schultz on bari sax and Andy Georges  on acoustic guitar are complimented by Maxayn Lewis, Melissa McKee, Dennis Lockett on vocals. Funky, I Feel Like Dynamite, has a cool James Brown feel with tastes of the Temptations, Tower of Power and Dave Mason. Very cool. One of my favorite tracks on the release, You Know How I Lie, has some of the best vocals, both lead and lush backing on the release, smart lead guitar runs by Laith Al-Saadi, trumpet and trombone by Lee Thornburg and tenor and bari sax by Doug Webb. Very nice. With an orchestral quality, Kicks, has a boogie beat and Denis McKee lays down some real nice guitar riffs, punctuated by Thornburg and Webb. Gotta check out Webb's tenor solo on this one...very nice. bayou Man has a real nice groove, nicely blended vocals and slick slide work by Stan Budzynski. Smooth but funky jazzer, Go 2 Work! has a great bass lines by Bobby Watson and in addition to the rich vocal leads by Robinson, Reggie Gonzales, Maxayn Lewis and Melissa McKee features really nice beautiful soprano sax lines by Webb. R&B track, Runaway Love has a classic hit lines with a great melody, nicely matched vocals and instrumentation. Latin flavored, Late at Night has warm vocal work and exceptional rhythm with punchy trumpet by Thornburg and great lead vocal and guitar by Larry McCray. Funky blues number, Blues of the Month Club, features Denis on lead vocal and guitar. Tight horn work by Thornburg and Webb and precision drum strokes by Edmondson nicely frame funky blues guitar riffs by Denis. Wrapping the release is Kenny Loggins' Celebrate Me Home featuring Melissa McKee on lead vocal. A culmination of the bands efforts on the release with Webb's solo, a solid closer. 

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The McKee Brothers - Enjoy It While You Can - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Enjoy It While You Can, from The McKee Brothers and I love it. Opening with One Of Us Gots Ta Go, a jazzy blues track in the style of WW Washington, this track is hot! Featuring Bob Schultz on lead vocal and Kirk Fletcher on lead guitar this track swings. Denis McKee on guitar, Bobby West on piano, Jim Alfredson on Hammond, Duncan McMilan on Wurlitzer, Ralph McKee on bass and Jerome Edmonson on drums is a solid unit but throw Lee Thornburg on trumpet, Doug Webb on sax and Sophia on backing vocal and you have pure power! Funky, Change, has a slinky feel and a cool bass line by Bobby Watson. Schultz's vocals are super and Fletcher trading off with the horn section and really nice accent vocals by Melissa McKee make this a really sweet track. A real screamer, A Little Bit Of Soul features Larry McCray on lead vocals and guitar. I really like Larry's vocals and his guitar work is crisp. The horn section is tight and a driving bass line from Bobby Watson really works. This music is woven like fine silk with Dennis, Melissa McKee and Maxann Lewis bringing the backing vocals. Excellent! Title track, Enjoy It While You Can, finds Schultz back up fron on lead vocals and and features smoking guitar solos from McCray and Stan Budzynski. Tight drum work by Edmonson and the back pump by the horn section is essential. Bluesy ballad, A Long Way Back Home, has a nice gospel like organ base by Alfredson and Dave mcKee shows his own flare on lead guitar riffs. Very nice. Melissa McKee and Sophia Hanifi really blend nicely on backing vocals and Webb hits a nice stride of his own on sax. Very nice. Another jazz funk number with hot bass riffs, Connections, will have you moving in your seat. Watson sets the pace and Schultz rides the groove. Fletcher on lead guitar, Jonathan Ovalle on percussion and the hot horn section backed by Melissa McKee and Reggie Gonzales on vocals...excellent! If I haven't made it clear yet...I really like this release. Right There, features Schultz on lead vocal and Fletcher on lead guitar. Webb lays out a nice sax riff becoming a part of the constant refrain and the horn section is really rocking. Melissa, Sophia and Reggie and really hot and Webb's soloing is absolutely smoking! Fletcher is always on his game and this track is breathing heavy with super bari work under the bottom with Watson's bass. Excellent! Dr. John's Qualified is an absolute favorite with very little change in arrangement but with really nice slide work from Budzynski as well as cool wah wah effects. Edmonson's drum funk is tight and thumping bass work from Watson is really solid. Thornburg on trumpet and trombone and Webb on tenor and bari gives the track extra pop ... yes... Schultz's lead vocals are super and of course any Dr John track would be dead in the water without super piano work by Dennis McKee. Desperate Situation is a cool R&B track which should easily get a lot of radio play with it's hook. This release is so well put together that I can tell you right now it is one of the best releases I've heard this year. McKee's guitar work hits all of the accents and the backing vocals are rich. The horn work on this track is spot on and parts like the subtle soprano sax solo by Webb are so unexpected and cool. Getting the James Brown on with a rolling funk, Dennis McKee takes the lead on vocal with refreshing ease and Larry McCray sits back and steps on the gas riffing high over a rolling bass line by Ralph McKee and Glenn Giordano. Very nice. Earl King's, It All Went Down The Drain, has a looser feel with deep bari sax notes pushing the train. Stan on slide, Rick Berthod on fills, Dave Kaftan on second solo, Dennis McKee on tremolo guitar... this track has a lot going on. Wrapping the release is Patti Griffin's ballad, Up To The Mountain, featuring Melissa McKee on lead vocal. McCray has the lead guitar playing a really nice melodic but screaming solo and Barsimanto the drums. With choral like horn work by Thornburg and Webb, this track is a solid cruiser.



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