"I miss the rawness of the old recordings. I don’t mind hearing mistakes, if the performance delivers the feeling it’s designed to."

Kevin McKendree: The Rock House Roll

Kevin McKendree was born with an inherent, obsessive love of music. He began to play the piano at the age of three. Teaching himself by ear, listening to records by Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles and other early Rock & Roll/ R&B pioneers. When he was ten, inspired by B.B. King, he began to play the guitar. Throughout his teens his obsession led him to many different styles of music, which he brought to the many bands he played with. Kevin's professional career began in 1987, when the seventeen year old's talent was recognized by Peter Bonta, a long time Washington D.C. area music scene fixture and owner of Wally Cleavers Recording. Peter introduced him to many of the area's top blues artists (including Big Joe Maher, Tom Principato, Bob Margolin & Mark Wenner). Very quickly, he became one of the most in demand musicians in the area. In1995, Kevin left his haunts in the Washington, D.C. area to move to Nashville, TN. Recommended by The Rolling Stones' keyboardist, Chuck Leavell, he backed Arista recording artist Lee Roy Parnell. Still in his twenties, Kevin co-wrote and co- produced the Grammy nominated piano driven instrumental, "Mama, Screw Your Wig On Tight." In 1997, Kevin joined Delbert McClinton as his band leader, playing on the Grammy winning albums, "Nothing Personal" and "Cost Of Living," and the Grammy nominated album, "Room To Breathe." Delbert's easy touring schedule enabled him to have the best of both worlds in Nashville; recording sessions during the week and playing "live" on the weekends.                                        (Kevin McKendree / Photo by Dennis Klein)

At the beginning of 2011, Kevin stopped playing full time with Delbert in order to have a more flexible schedule and capitalize on the many other opportunities that were surrounding him. These included recordings and world tours with both Brian Setzer and John Oates, as well as producing album projects in his studio, The Rock House. Over the years, Kevin has played on hundreds of releases and performed thousands of times live with a wide range of artists, musicians and producers including: Little Richard, Lee Roy Parnell, Buddy Guy, Anson Funderburgh, Tom Dowd, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Earl King, Tinsley Ellis, Bonnie Bramlett, Johnny Sandlin, Mike Henderson, Don Was, Kentucky Headhunters, David Hood, Johnny Adams, George Thorogood, Etta James...and more! Kevin has been focused on songwriting and producing in his own studio, The Rock House. Qualified Records is led by music industry veteran and studio owner Kevin McKendree and producer and John Heithaus. Some of the latest releases by Qualified Records are: Mike Henderson's "Last Nite at the Buebird Cafe Live", Big Shoes "King Size", and Yates McKendree's "Need To Know."

Interview by Michael Limnios            Special Thanks: Betsie Brown (Blind Raccoon)

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

Well…I’ve grown in just about every conceivable way since I started making music…I was 3 years old when I first started and I’m 56 now! What has remained the same is my love of music desire to create it.

How did the idea of Qualified Records come about? How do you describe label’s sound and music philosophy?

John (Heithaus) and I started Qualified out of frustration! I have been working with amazing independent artists for decades, making great recordings that largely went unnoticed. That was a large part of the frustration. The other part is that a lot of new “roots” music was being produced the same way pop music is produced….click tracks, digital alignment, AutoTune…resulting in music that was never actually played by humans. Music that is perfectly in time and in tune, sounds like a robot to me…I don’t feel a connection with it. The humanity and soul in the music is being sacrificed for technical perfection. One of the things people would tell me about the recordings we were making is that they sound “real” and “fresh”. I believe that’s because we do it the old school way: get great musicians in a room and record them.

The music industry as a whole, I believe, puts the cart before the horse. They create music with a demographic in mind. Music made to sell. Our idea is to make the music that’s in our heart and soul for its own sake…and if we get it out there, it will find the real music lovers.

"I think experimentation is part of the roots! Roots music is a tradition of making music. It evolves through experimentation. I think, at least for me, the tradition is in how the music is created, not so much in  how it’s re-created." (Photo: Kevin McKendree)

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome as a person and as artist and has this helped you become a better musician and producer?

The set of obstacles in front of anyone who takes a path less traveled are vast and varied. Rejection and being told no are daily occurrences from the very beginning…and especially at the beginning. If you stick to your guns and believe in yourself, you’ll live long enough to see the same people who once asked “When are you gonna get a real job?” come up and ask, “Can I have your autograph?”. Capitalize on yourself, it’s the only unique thing you have.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

What I’ve learned is that it’s not just “who you know”, it’s your relationships. I’ve also learned to have my own personal definition of success, based on my true desires.

What's the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul/emotions? Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues?

Music moves people in a variety of ways. Some are moved by incredible technique, some by raw expression, others by the poetry of the lyric. I’m sure there are as many ways that music can touch people as there are people! I tend to be in the raw expression group, though I can be moved for many different reasons. Blues, at its core, is raw expression. It’s improvised and on the spot. It’s immediate and urgent. Blues will never die because it’s a natural human expression. In order to keep it going, we just need to keep living.

How musicians and creators will keep making a living in when music keeps being devalued by greedy corporations? I don’t know. But I know blues music will always be made. Whether it gets recorded and released, I guess that’s up to what the market will bear. Recordings are expensive. Streaming is cheap.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

John (Heithaus) and I started Qualified Records to do just that.

"The music industry as a whole, I believe, puts the cart before the horse. They create music with a demographic in mind. Music made to sell. Our idea is to make the music that’s in our heart and soul for its own sake…and if we get it out there, it will find the real music lovers." (Photo: Kevin McKendree with his son Yates McKendree)

Your work is known for creatively reimagining blues/soul/rock n’ roll tradition. How do you balance respect for the roots with experimentation?

I think experimentation is part of the roots! Roots music is a tradition of making music. It evolves through experimentation. I think, at least for me, the tradition is in how the music is created, not so much in  how it’s re-created.

You’ve worked in many different settings, from clubs and studios to open air festivals. How do you navigate between these different worlds?

The worlds I’m in are irrelevant when I’m making music. I can be in my bedroom or at Carnegie Hall, if I’m playing, the only “place” I’m even aware of is the music that I’m in. Music for the sake of music.

What do you learn about yourself from the Rock & Roll/ R&B culture and what does the blues mean to you?

From playing in many different bands in many different styles, I’ve learned to adapt quickly to changes. Blues music for me, is the ultimate raw, musical expression. Nothing sums it all up like the Blues.

How do you describe Kevin McKendree sound and songbook? What characterize The Rock House’s philosophy?

My sound is rootsy and informed by blues, though it can adapt to many different styles. The mission statement for The Rock House: “The Rock House, a place to make good music with my friends”.

How has the Blues influenced the journeys you’ve taken? What touched (emotionally) you from the 88 B/W keys?

Blues has been the basis of all of my travels. Blues is the basis of my playing and my playing has taken me all over the world. Just something about the sound of piano has always touched my soul.

"I think Blues, Jazz and R&B have been way ahead of the curve, as far as race relations go. The bands in these genres have been integrated from the very beginning of this music. The MUSICIANS were ahead of the curve, not necessarily the music business." (Kevin McKendree / Photo by Anthony Scarlati)

Which acquaintances have been the most important experiences? What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I’ve been fortunate to know a lot of amazing people who have given me great advice. One of them was Chuck Leavell, who told me to “make your own luck, put yourself around the people you want to make music with”.

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

Some highlights: Sitting in with the Allman Brothers in 1997. Recording with Tom Dowd and Donald “Duck” Dunn. Recording with Buddy Guy. Being Delbert McClinton’s band leader. Recording Little Richard at The Rock House. There’s really too many amazing memories to list! I feel very fortunate that my career has led me to my heroes. Even more amazing, to me, is that I have been accepted as their peer.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I miss the rawness of the old recordings. I don’t mind hearing mistakes, if the performance delivers the feeling it’s designed to. I think most, not all, modern recordings are too concerned with perfection, whether it’s pitch or tempo, and not concerned enough with “feel” and raw emotion.

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

That artists would be compensated fairly for the work they do.

"From playing in many different bands in many different styles, I’ve learned to adapt quickly to changes. Blues music for me, is the ultimate raw, musical expression. Nothing sums it all up like the Blues." (Kevin McKendree on stage / Photo by Rob de Groot)

What are the lines that connect the legacy of R&B from Washington, D.C. to Nashville, Muscle Shoals and beyond?

I think music transcends the physical, so I’m not so sure that the places really matter as much as the people that happened to be in those places. A good example: Jon Cleary, one of today’s best New Orleans piano players is actually from the U.K.! I think we are influenced by the people in the places, not the places alone.

What has made you laugh from Little Richard and Etta James? What touched (emotionally) you from Tom Dowd?

Well, I got a good laugh when Little Richard’s stretched limousine pulled up in to my backyard…that’s never happened before! He also shared some great rock and roll stories that had us all in stitches. What a charismatic man! When I worked with Etta James, it was just for a day and, although I wish I had, I didn’t have much interaction with her, other than musically. Tom Dowd was an inspiration. He knew exactly how to motivate each person on the session to make the best music we could…and each person was motivated differently. He somehow managed to speak to each of us on our own terms, instead of his. He was a very warm, intelligent and competent person. A rare genius.

What is the impact of Blues, Jazz and R&B music to the racial, political and socio-cultural implications?

I think Blues, Jazz and R&B have been way ahead of the curve, as far as race relations go. The bands in these genres have been integrated from the very beginning of this music. The MUSICIANS were ahead of the curve, not necessarily the music business.

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

I’d like to be in the control room with Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler on a Ray Charles, Atlantic Records session….any one of them would be okay with me!

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(Kevin McKendree / Photo by Greg Vorobiov)