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View Window On The World EPK here
Hailing from Roswell,
New Mexico, guitarist John
McKinley cut his teeth as a young man playing in a variety of
rock, blues and horn bands, honing his skills as a guitarist and songwriter
while relentlessly touring across the Southern U.S. With his debut recording,
Window on the World, McKinley channels the sounds of his Texas
influences: Freddie King, Johnny Winter and ZZ Top. Add a dash of the
cerebral voodoo of Frank Zappa and the deep soul of McKinley’s Mexican roots
and you have a musical palette that serves up guitar-driven blues-rock paired
with classic sing-a-long melodies.“I think this album has a lot of musical
qualities, but it’s most definitely a guitar album. It’s more rock than blues
- a cross-section of all the music I love to play,” says the Kitchener,
Ontario based musician.
Window on the World is McKinley’s first outing as a songwriter and recording
artist. All songs on the 12-track debut are credited to McKinley or as
co-writes with son Darius McKinley, 35, a talented musician in his own right.
“The song writing process was enlightening. After decades of playing, it was
great to put everything down on a final project”, says McKinley. "I’ve
always been writing songs - I just didn’t play them in public. The places I
was playing were paying me to play other people’s songs. It was my son Darius
who was the real push behind this album.”
The album’s
wide-reaching influences make for a number of highlights - from the
Texas-style blues-rock of album opener Dirty Nails to the gritty
Zappa-esque workout of Stratitude onto the leg-shaking mojo of Rev
It Up and the Spanish hip-swaying Cuando Yo Me Voy. It’s a
combination of rock and groove with riffs that can’t miss.
McKinley, having
called Kitchener home since the early ’80s, is a much-loved mainstay in his
adopted hometown. He landed in the city after an offer for a gig with a band
including Pino Palladino - a talented bassist that was sought out by
rock-A-listers such as David Gilmour, Pete Townshend and Peter Gabriel. With
a baby on the way (son Darius), McKinley’s roots were settled in Southwestern
Ontario where he continues today to perform and teach young up-and-comers.
“John has been a huge part of the K-W (Kitchener-Waterloo) music scene for
such a long time it’s hard to believe this is his first album,” enthuses
Kitchener powerhouse blues vocalist Cheryl Lescom. “He has mentored many
young musicians in the area. He gives his time and energy to anyone who asks
for help in making their music better. He is a great soul and a
brilliant guitar player and singer. He makes it all look so easy because he’s
a natural.”
In 2013, McKinley was
awarded the Kitchener Blues Festival’s Mel Brown Award - named for the
legendary Mississippi blues guitarist who came to call Kitchener home in the
’80s. Brown is widely considered the musical spirit for the annual festival,
which began in 2001.
For Window on the
World, McKinley has put together a band of accomplished local players.
With McKinley handling vocal and lead guitar, the group is nicely rounded out
with son Darius on electric bass, Ben Rollo on drums and Darryl Romphf on
second guitar. The band members are much sought after talents, often
performing on stage or in studio for a myriad of other local and touring
acts.
McKinley says he’s
inspired by his 81-year-old aunt, a long-time dance teacher who he says still
dances every day. “She always told me, do your art - no matter
what.” For McKinley, the future is wide open.
Window On The World Track List
RIYL
Freddie King, Jeff
Beck Robben Ford, ZZ Top, Frank Zappa
1. Dirty Nails 2:18
2. One a Ponce a Time
4:32
3. Welfare Mama 3:58
4. Stratitude
3:41
5. Cuando Yo Me Voy ( I'm Outta' Here) 3:17
6. Rev It Up
3:18
7. Keep the Door
Cracked Open 3:55
8. P-Nutt-Butt-Ah 7:17
9. Life's a Bitch 2:31
10. Cool Night Breeze
3:31
11. Passionate Man
3:42
12. Ontarian Song 6:02
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