Kevin Mackenzie: East of East 7th Street

Forthcoming release of a new CD by guitarist Kevin Mackenzie: East of East 7th Street

‘There’s bite as well as understated elegance in Mackenzie's soloing’ (The Herald)

“a conspicuously inventive soloist." (The Scotsman)

“Mackenzie demonstrates a composer's ear and vision that equals his improvising skills” (The Guardian)

This CD from Kevin Mackenzie unites him with New York based musicians Ben Perowsky, Boris Kozlov and Donny McCaslin. The twelve original compositions were recorded on a two-day session in Brooklyn NY .

The choice of these three New York musicians was a product of Kevin’s own history and geography. Kevin first met Boris Kozlov just after he had moved from Moscow to NYC when Vibes player Joe Locke recommended Boris. Having worked with some of New York’s finest musicians as well as playing bass for the Mingus Big Band, Boris’ fantastic playing brought the kind of sound Kevin was looking for.

Kevin met Ben Perowsky in New York and again at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh when his Quartet with Julian Arguelles was on the same bill as the Bob Berg /Mike Stern band, with whom Ben was drumming. Ben’s diversity has found him involved in projects from ‘Joan as Policewoman’ to ‘Steven Bernstein’s MTO’ to his own ‘Moodswing Orchestra’ making him an ideal drummer for Kevin’s new music.

With the band almost complete Kevin felt that a couple of the new compositions needed a sax. Who better than New York’s Donny’s McCaslin who as well as his own projects is touring with Steps Ahead and won the ‘Rising Star’ category in the 2008 Downbeat Poll.