This article is about the American bass player. For the fingerstyle guitar player, see Andy McKee. For other people named Andrew or Andy McKee, see Andrew McKee (disambiguation).
Andrew G. McKee (born November 11, 1953) is a New York-based, American bassist who has been performing and recording in North America, South America, Europe, and Japan since 1978. McKee's most important rhythm section mentors have included Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones and Idris Muhammad. He travelled widely in Europe with both Elvin Jones and with French pianist Michel Petrucciani. He played for about a decade with the Mingus Big Band and has had his own groups. He is the author of two books on upright bass technique and has taught at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music since 1993.
Life and career
Born in Philadelphia, McKee first studied piano and alto saxophone before turning to the double bass at age 14. Among his teachers were Homer Mensch, Richard Davis and Al Stauffer. McKee's first significant jazz mentor was drummer Philly Joe Jones. McKee joined the Philly Joe Jones Quartet, performing and touring the US and Canada in 1979-80.[1][2]
McKee's first European tour was of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany with the Walt Dickerson Trio in the late 1970s; he is heard on two live recordings released after the tour by Steeplechase in 1978 and 1980. In 1980, McKee moved to New York City, and his long partnership with master drummer Elvin Jones began. McKee's first major engagement with the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine was in April 1983 at the Village Vanguard. He went on to be the staff bassist with the Jazz Machine, touring Europe and the US from 1986-91.
In 1984, McKee moved to Paris, and began to perform and tour with Chet Baker, Mal Waldron and Steve Grossman among others. In the years between 1986 and 1991, Andy toured the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan as the regular bassist in the Michel Petrucciani Group with drummer Victor Jones. He joined Hank Jones, Slide Hampton, Satolu Oda and Lewis Nash on two recordings made during a tour of Japan in 1994.
Back in New York starting in 1991, McKee was for ten years the bassist and part-time musical director of the Mingus Big Band, playing weekly engagements at NYC's Time Café, touring worldwide and playing on numerous recordings. Working with Dave Stryker, Steve Slagle and Manolo Badrena, he helped form the band Trio Mundo, which released two albums. McKee has also formed his own groups, leading colleagues in recording One World (1997) and Sound Roots (2002).[2][3]
McKee has appeared on the recent releases of trombonist Luis Bonilla. He has recorded with composer and pianist Peter Madsen and taken part in several big band ventures including an arrangement of Charles Ives' music by Jack Cooper.
Jazz Set with Branford Marsalis from National Public Radio,® Program 010531: "Michel Petrucciani Quartet, Detroit 1990." Aired between May 31 and June 14, 2001, WBGO/88.3FM, Newark, NJ.
