THE BAND:
Built around legendary Earth Wind & Fire guitarist, Al McKay, and a group of top Los Angeles studio and road musicians is the aptly named “Al McKay Allstars.” They are all about the music.
Performing hit after hit of the super group’s material, in the original keys with the original feel, the Al McKay Allstars offer a stunning demonstration of a living, vital performance – with every component of the band upholding the high standard of excellence that established the original EWF sound.
From Al McKay’s guitar, the rhythm section locks down the grooves McKay did so much to create in the first place. The horn section, under the leadership of original EWF trumpeter and Phenix Horn member Michael Harris, and featuring the talents of former Tower Of Power and Doobie Brother members, deliver performances that any band leader would be proud of. The vocal section anchored by the incredible vocal talents of Tim Owens – plausibly surpasses the powerful vocal ensemble of most groups.
In a day and age when many top pop groups perform with carefully prepared click tracks and prerecorded vocals and padding, it is refreshing to find that the legacy of this historic American music is alive and well with McKay’s stunning new group.
So the Al McKay Allstars may be the only group capable of rendering this music with the original feel and with no smoke and mirrors. And for fans of EWF and American funk music in general — the band is a phenomenon absolutely not to be missed.
CURRENT BAND MEMBERS:
-Al McKay – leader and guitar
-Tim Owens – vocals
-DeVere Duckett – vocals
-Claude Woods – vocals
-James Manning – bass
-Ben Dowling – keyboards
-David Iwataki – keyboards
-John Holfield – drums
-David Leach – percussion
-Greg Moore – guitar
-Keith McKelley – saxophone
-Luis Eric Gonzalez – trumpet
-Omar Peralta – trumpet
-Shaunte Palmer – trombone
HISTORY OF THE BAND:
In late 1983, Earth, Wind & Fire went on an extended “hiatus.” Although there were noises made subsequently from time to time, the group that had defined its unique sound was gone.
Then in 1990, the former EWF guitarist, Al McKay decided to put a band together from the remains of the original group, initially for some special performances in Japan. Calling themselves the “LA Allstars,” the group assembled former members of EWF into a model of the original rhythm section driven group, organized around the all important guitar work of McKay.
Over the years the LA Allstars, and later the Al McKay Allstars, have featured a who’s who of the most influential musicians in R&B and funk. These have included many of the original members of the late 70’s/early 80’s vintage EWF:
-Rahmlee Michael Davis – trumpet (Earth, Wind & Fire, The Phenix Horns)
-Larry Dunn – keyboards (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Johnny Graham – guitar (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Michael Harris – trumpet (Earth, Wind & Fire, The Phenix Horns)
-Ralph Johnson – percussion (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Al McKay – guitar (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Louis Satterfield – trombone (Earth, Wind & Fire, The Phenix Horns)
-Beloyd Taylor – vocals (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Verdine White – bass (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Freddy White – drums (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Andrew Woolfolk – saxophone (Earth, Wind & Fire)
Other Allstars members have included:
-Freddy Fluellen – bass (Paul Jackson Jr., The Emotions)
-Hussain Jiffry – bass (Sergio Mendes)
-Rob McDonald – bass
-Byron Miller – bass (George Duke)
-Bobby Watson – bass (Rufus)
-Johnny Friday – drums
-Aaron Haggerty – drums
-Lance Lee – drums
-John Paris – drums (Earth, Wind & Fire)
-Michael Shapiro – drums (Sergio Mendes/Black Eyed Peas)
-Taka – drums
-Zorro – drums
-Ndugu Chancler – percussion (Santana)
-Fausto Cuevas – percussion (Britney Spears)
-Joey DeLeon – percussion
-Richie Garcia – percussion
-Ben Dowling – piano, keyboards
-Cat Grey – piano, keyboards
-Freddie Ravel – piano, keyboards
-Jane Child – keyboards
-Tony Coleman – keyboards (The Emotions, BeBe & CeCe Winans)
-Dean Gant – keyboards
-Bryan Loren – keyboards (Michael Jackson)
-Paco – keyboards
-Bruce Conte – guitar (Tower Of Power)
-Mark Harden – guitar
-Steve Baxter – trombone (Jazz Crusaders)
-Isaac Smith – trombone (Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg)
-Wendell Kelly – trombone (Quincy Jones)
-Alphonse – trombone
-Bill Churchville – trumpet (Tower Of Power)
-Michael Hunter – trumpet
-Harry Kim – trumpet
-Federico Medina – trumpet
-Enzo Villaparedes – trumpet
-Robert Incelli – saxophone
-Scott Mayo – saxophone
-Eddie M – saxophone (Prince)
-Andre Delano – saxophone (Maxwell)
-Ed Wynne – saxophone (Doobie Brothers)
-Durrell Coleman – vocals
-Julie Delgado – vocals
-Brenda Lee Eager – vocals
-DeVere Duckett – vocals (Stevie Wonder, Barry White)
-Terrence Forthsythe – vocals
-Adam Jackson – vocals
-Tim Owens – vocals (KC and JoJo)
-Jeff Ramsey – vocals
-Claude Woods – vocals
-Ali Ollie Woodson – vocals (The Temptations)
Drawing from this reservoir of great musicians, the Al McKay Allstars have demonstrated the highest regard and commitment to retaining the excellence of the original EWF sound.