Featuring: Gayelynn McKinney – Drums, Carlos McKinney – Piano, Ralphe Armstrong – Bass, Alex Colista – Saxophone
Award-winning drummer, Gayelynn McKinney is a member of the musical McKinney family and is promoting its legacy as one of the most respected families in Detroit’s cultural community. Her father was the highly revered composer, pianist, and educator, Harold McKinney and her late mother, Gwendolyn Shepherd McKinney, was an accomplished singer. She is also related to Grammy winning record producer/pianist, Carlos McKinney. Gayelynn received the highly coveted Kresge Foundation fellowship which enables her to complete her McKinfolk Project, which pays tribute to her father’s legacy by releasing some of his unheard compositions.
About Gayelynn: Gayelynn has played with some of music’s biggest names including Marcus Belgrave, Randy Brecker, Benny Goldson, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Freda Payne, Eddie Henderson, Roy Ayers, Roy Hargrove, Larry Coryell and Rick Magitza. You can hear her on Detroit’s own Ralphe Armstrong’s latest project Detroit Rising.
About Carlos:Carlos McKinney is a Grammy Award winning American record producer and jazz pianist. McKinney was born into an eminent Detroit jazz family. He is the nephew to the late pianist Harold McKinney. McKinney has also worked as an arranger and producer. He was assistant composer to James Mtume for the TV show New York Undercover from 1995. He then received a contract from Def Jam, where he worked with musicians such as NIKKO, Case, Keithian, Ciara, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Montell Jordan, Kandace Love, Babyface, and Redman. He has also produced for artists such as The-Dream, J. Holiday, Bobby Valentino, and Jamie Foxx, among others. He won a Grammy Award for his credits and production on the Rihanna Unapologetic album in 2013. He was Elvin Jones’s last pianist.