Brady McKay profile picture

Brady McKay

Oh, where is your inflammatory writ? -J. Newsome

About Me

Started as a dancer. Got into theater. Then got into jazz. (Worked for the last 15 years to get the theater out of my voice.) Then got into writing. Had a band for 10 years and made a bunch of CDs. After that, I did more CDs on my own, and a few with other people, including voice-over work on kids' albums. In jazz, I play as a guest artist mostly now, and with some incredible musicians. Wish I could do a "Brady has played with people who have played with..." resume. That would include, well, practically every big name in jazz. I'm just a one-off. But I have sung, either regular-like or as a guest artist, with Duke Heitger, Randy Reinhart, Ron Stout, Harry Allen, Allan Vache, Chuck Hedges, Terry Meyers, John Allred, Dan Barrett, Howard Alden, Eddie Erickson, Jerry Krahn, Johnny Varro, John Sheridan, John Cocuzzi, Randy Morris, Nikki Parrott, Joel Forbes, Phil Flanigan (and his poppy seeds), Matt Perrine, Eddie Metz, Burt Dahlender, The Black Dogs, and a bunch more. If you don't know these people, you ought. Been writing a lot lately, btw, and always interested in collaborating with players. I play some (piano/guitar), but mostly as a dilettante. I play a mean rubboard, though.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/18/2007
Band Website: bradymckay.com
Band Members: See bradymckay.com for info. on Parlor Jam (jazz) and Junkyard Burlesque (originals).
Influences: Interesting jumble. I'm just gonna spill it, like a blogger: earliest influences were dancers and singer/dancers -- Cyd Charisse, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Mitzi Gaynor, Debbie Reynolds. Oh, how I wanted to wear a gown and spin around when I was a wee thing! (And Gene Kelly's legs in Anchors Aweigh informed me of my girlness at a young age.) Also hymns and showtunes of the Rogers/Hammerstein and Lerner/Lowe variety. And I loved the little tapes narrated by Burl Ives. Moved on "up" in my teens through the Carpenters (yup), Billy Joel (hush up -- his early stuff is great: 52nd Street, Turnstiles, Piano Man), Kansas, and musicals of the Sondheim variety. Graduated to Weather Report, Ella, Mel, Anita O'Day (rediscovering her, again and again), Carl Fontana, Steely Dan, Bessie Smith, US3, Bulgarian Women's Choir, B52s, Tuck & Patti, Chet Baker, Bob Dorough. Currently I am in love with Joanna Newsom, Lucinda Williams, Madeline Peyroux, Stacey Kent, Anita O'Day (again), and nursing an ongoing infatuation with Joan Osborne, Michele Shocked (Captain Swing), Norah Jones, Sam Phillips and Maxine Sullivan. Just now discovering Beck, Bruce Cockburn, Singers Unlimited and Matty Matlock. Could listen to that all day. Can't quite get my head around Patti Smith, but still trying. Everyone loves Waits and I'm no exception. Also, Leonard Cohen. Hm, baby, again. Oh, and anything danceable, always. Jurassic 5 anyone?
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None