MIKE MACKENZIE BAND
Blues at the root of rocker’s sound
MIKE MACKENZIE BAND Where: Blues on Whyte When: 9 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday, Feb. 7-11 Tickets: $5 cover Friday and Saturday
Between his album packaging and what’s inside, Mike MacKenzie’s brand of rock is atypical of what you might find on most nights at Blues on Whyte, where he headlines next week. Shades of progressive rock or metal come into play, but the Calgary guitarist knows where it all comes from. “Hopefully, people are still getting that blues is at the root,” explains the Calgary guitarist, singer and songwriter. “It’s gotta have that feel and that soul and that groove to be genuine for me. If I’m not feeling it on stage, it’s pretty hard to convey that to the audience.” Labels are always arbitrary. Because some of his tunes run to six or seven minutes and take more complicated song forms reminiscent of bands like Yes, King Crimson or Led Zeppelin, Mackenzie admits you could call his music “heavy progressive southern blues rock” to get more specific. His guitar antics run from twisted, hot, aggressive chords, to speedy, structured melodic patterns and more straightforward blues progressions with all the necessary grooves behind them. The latest evidence comes on Solstice, his second album release out last October, which incorporates several different sessions with a few guests. Like its predecessor, 2014’s Natural Causes, the cover art leans toward spacey abstraction, in this case a planet-like image, and some of the track titles identify with the natural world. “I’ve always liked visual art, and I’ve always enjoyed being in the mountains and the outdoors in general. Sometimes that pairs with the vibe of my songwriting I guess, and going back to a song or instrumental I’ve written, it seems like a natural choice to go with those titles.” Toronto-born MacKenzie has lived in Calgary for 25 of his 30 years. He started picking at his dad’s guitar around age 10 and a diet of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Metallica inspired him to explore further. Along the way he discovered prog rock bands like Rush, Yes, King Crimson and Camel, and got into mainstream blues players like Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton. MacKenzie was performing with various bar bands “as soon as I was of age.” Enrolling in what he calls “jazz boot camp” at Calgary’s Mount Royal College for two years made a big impact both on his playing and the breadth of his musical vision. “It was a steep learning curve for me because I wasn’t a jazz guy going in. We dabbled with a bit of classical and Latin rhythms, too. I wanted to be a better teacher and know more about theory and composition and improvisation. I guess I was kind of unique to come out of that and want to apply all that knowledge to rock and blues the way I did.” It wasn’t until 2012 that the guitarist started focusing more on developing his solo career. “I just wanted to have control and be focused and productive and not have to see a band fizzle out from varying levels of commitment. This is the project I’m going to be adding to my whole life.” The Mike Mackenzie Band really started as a trio at its core, with drummer James Wise, the guitarist’s friend going back to their teenage years, and bassistbackup singer Thomas Hart. They still perform in power trio mode frequently, but depending on locales, the band can grow to four or five players, as it will next weekend with the addition of second guitarist Kurtis Downs, or keyboards from Edmonton’s Oliver Westall (or Steve Fletcher in Calgary, who is on the albums). Depending on the venue, MacKenzie may also throw in a few covers from the likes of Buddy Guy, Waters or Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pink Floyd or Deep Purple. “Sometimes it’s all over the map. That might sound a bit scattered at first, but we try to make it gel together with our own sound, our tightness as a group, and a little blues all the way through.” MacKenzie’s band has already been all over Western Canada, but with the release of Solstice and some interest from Atlantic Canada, he’s hoping to put together the group’s first coast-to-coast tour.