Andy McKee

Jazz bassist Andy McKee is a journeyman performer, educator, and bandleader with a bevy of credits to his name. A Philadelphia native, McKee started out studying piano and saxophone, eventually settling on the bass in his teens. By his twenties he was touring Europe with <a href="spotify:artist:5G13PBpVJroa0g3ciSV3St">Walt Dickerson</a>, and in 1979 he joined drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4WhH68K75YKSAwHAqWFpi1">Philly Joe Jones</a> for dates in the U.S. and Canada. In the early '80s McKee relocated to New York City, where he began a longtime association with drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4dUMhhUjQ2YcNTvab29hYF">Elvin Jones</a>. This led to stints in Europe with luminaries like <a href="spotify:artist:3rxeQlsv0Sc2nyYaZ5W71T">Chet Baker</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4cP0bprQSFtZdI9QEKKZA3">Mal Waldron</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:13kHQ586h4Lm9iwVyS2b3K">Michel Petrucciani</a>, and others.

Returning to New York in the early '90s, McKee joined <a href="spotify:artist:54YNxT02JdAApvFBhD8ea0">the Mingus Big Band</a>, with which he would work for over ten years, appearing albums like Nostalgia in Times Square (1993), Gunslinging Bird (1995), Que Viva Mingus! (1997), and Blues & Politics (1990). He also built a steady list of sideman credits during this period, appearing on recordings by <a href="spotify:artist:2vT4xpcRUnhG8CHAt2YOJO">Steve Grossman</a>, the <a href="spotify:artist:6oalE1Ov29U9WBDn63puSu">Jack Wilkins</a>-<a href="spotify:artist:65uKPt40QH8dMBLuoJHPVY">Kenny Drew</a> Quartet, <a href="spotify:artist:0BhFfJmScFj7OzqVaDqnSv">Hank Jones</a>, and others. Since 1993 McKee has taught at New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

As a leader, McKee made his debut in 1997 with Sound Roots, alongside <a href="spotify:artist:16UjkmzIQRZ7iapSc7SYII">Ed Cherry</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1FOmilcr94cgU8VTgZ02RV">Alex Foster</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5xPZyHgmLYsNiG3GI8ESEk">Ryan Kisor</a>, and Billy Kilson. He then returned in 2002 with One World, which featured appearances from <a href="spotify:artist:1FOmilcr94cgU8VTgZ02RV">Foster</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6ghiUK2ao3KcmmDt2pbNzN">Idris Muhammad</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:069uPv10UPCGukbtGRUkJk">Joe Locke</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0lxIXWTQtZr2jP4oXJqaJX">Badal Roy</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7up05Ew1cHrSSx1bLxyIud">Milton Cardona</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0ppaiYSgRlCaCQ028u4k5f">Kenny Werner</a>. Also during this period, he recorded several albums with the Latin jazz outfit <a href="spotify:artist:5aPjR8RvE9JLdy8ywsBYLc">Trio Mundo</a>, earning a Grammy nomination for 2002's Carnaval. In 2013 he collaborated with an all-star group of musicians including <a href="spotify:artist:6W2950JxQU49ZU6poWGgSO">René Bottlang</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3y58dknRdBENZ8oVErWu9B">Oliver Lake</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5pxK3XZDWU8RSTFgu7hRdl">Vic Juris</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:5DFipPOMNcZT3XMGx59s5I">Billy Hart</a> on Autumn in New York. The following year he appeared on arranger <a href="spotify:artist:5Zci5GqTVFeTuSMeV6M2Jp">Jack Cooper</a>'s large ensemble recording Mists: Charles Ives for Jazz Orchestra on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Planet+Arts+Records%22">Planet Arts Records</a>. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi