Darron McKinney: Press/Reviews

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Media name: Don Smith
Company name: Radio Port Phillip
Date: 2005-09-02 11:28:07
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Don Smith, 'Night Train' & 'Peninsula Update' programs @ Radio Port Phillip, (98.7 & 98.3 FM) Melbourne, Victoria Australia..

The music on Darron McKinney's 'Soft Spoken' is indeed well described by its title, smooth and liquid soprano saxophone gently backed multiple electronic voices of many shades of many colours. The theme as espoused in McKinney's sleeve notes is a humanitarian signpost for us all, and the music amply urges us along the path.

The average 'Night Train' listener, with the emphasis on hard bop and other simliar jazz forms would certainly praise McKinney's skills but might also consign his work to the 'World Music' basket, but that, of course is precisely where the larger daytime audience of 'Peninsula Update' is coming from. On its first outing on that show "Soft Spoken' provoked several positive 'phone comments and would seem to to be set to attract a less specialised, but larger audience. And that is as it should be, Darron McKinney is an imposing physical presence but a gentle musical giant nonetheless.

Standifer, Lolita

05-22-2001
McKinney honors slain officers with "A Call to Courage" in D.C.

Wayne County Sheriff and Detroit recording artist Darron McKinney performed
his original composition, "A Call to Courage," at the 13th annual
candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in D.C.
on Sunday, May 13.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) contacted
Sheriff Robert Ficano requesting that McKinney represent the Wayne County
Sheriff's Department at the memorial held during National Police Week, May
13-19.

REVIEWS
All Music Guide

The spiritually minded, melodic saxman Darron McKinney is the smooth jazz equivalent of vocalist Daniel Rodriguez, the NYPD officer who shot to national prominence with his stunning rendition of "God Bless America" post-9/11. Although the inspirational "A Call to Courage" (presented as both an instrumental and vocal, sung by Nichelle Colvin) arrives at the end of the set, it's clearly the soul of the project. McKinney, a Detroit native and deputy sheriff, performed it at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Candlelight Vigil in 2001 in Washington, D.C., as a tribute to fallen officers. It's a lush soprano tune that epitomizes McKinney's cool, graceful approach on tracks like the title cut. Smooth jazz radio embraced the similarly lyrical but slightly more upbeat "Shift Change," which features ethereal backing vocals. For those seeking something more soulful, "McKinney" goes a little jazzier on the lower-toned, tenor-driven "75 South." McKinney's faith is also a powerful thread weaving through here, from the gospel-flavored ballad "What a Friend" to a dreamy rendition of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" and the vocal/instrumental tandem of "Never Alone." Only time will tell if McKinney like Rodriguez will be able to parlay the musical aspect of his public service into a full-time gig. As a newcomer trying to make inroads into the smooth jazz scene, he's off to an above average start. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
CUSTOMER REVIEWS

ALBUM CREDITS

Performance Credits

Darron McKinney Primary Artist, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone

Major N. Clark Smith Drums

Mick Dobday Keyboards

Chris Codish Hammond Organ


Technical Credits

Nathan Martin Contributor



© 2005 All Media Guide, LLC
Portions of content provided by All Music Guide®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC

Ricardo Thomas/The Detroit News

Stores are struggling to meet demand for Darron McKinney's "A Call to Courage," a song of commitment to the badge.


Music
Song honors men, women in blue
Local officer's patriotic tune in high demand in wake of terror attacks

By Paula Bridges / Special to The Detroit News

Patriotic tune
Who: Darron McKinney
Occupation: Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy
Age: 35
Marital status: Married with two children.
Accomplishments: Plays saxophone, published A Call to Courage in 1999 and Inner Prizm in 1996.
Phone: (313) 301-0521

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As a young man, Wayne County Sheriff's Deputy Darron McKinney played saxophone in church and later in gospel ensembles while studying music at Southern University in Louisiana. He often found himself playing alongside jazz notables Branford Marsalis, Joe Sample and once with legendary trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
While many saw McKinney's name in lights, he knew deep down public service as a policeman was his mission.
Two years ago, he produced A Call to Courage, a song of commitment to the badge. With help from his brother, Nathan McKinney, and lyricist Kareem, the trio crafted the CD, which contains the tune sung by Nichelle Colvin and an instrumental version. The tribute to the men and women who protect the public was distributed to record stores throughout Metro Detroit.
"I just saw a need to capture the essence of what we do in law enforcement and to write a song that would bring police and those in public service closer to God," McKinney said.
Ever since the September tragedies, music stores can barely keep up with demand for the patriotic tune. In Metro Detroit, McKinney's compact disc is becoming a local hit.
Sandy Bean, vice-president of advertising for Harmony House records, said that sales of patriotic-theme recordings haven't soared as high since the gulf war.
"Music is a very powerful elicitor of memory and emotion," said Wayne State University graduate psychology instructor Ty Partridge.
U.S. citizens may be gravitating toward patriotic tunes because it moves them beyond their identities of being New Yorkers or Detroiters or any of the qualifiers that segment members of society, Partridge said.
"It's a combination of a shared experience in that these songs are reminders that we, as Americans, have a common experience, a common heritage," Partridge said.
When Bishop David L. Ellis of the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit heard McKinney's song, he was moved to tears.
"The melody and the lyrics are very soothing and certainly appropriate," Ellis said. "It memorializes those in law enforcement who have really gone beyond the line of duty or given the ultimate sacrifice."
McKinney shies away from the publicity that tends to accompany the spotlight. He'd prefer focusing on charitable acts, which sometimes includes paying homage to officers killed in the line of duty. He performs on his own time with a chorale of local law enforcement officers, most recently for fallen Detroit Police Officer Neil Wells Jr., who was shot to death by a suspect during a narcotics raid in April.
"It's sad and humbling, and never gets easy," McKinney said.
The grief he feels over losing a brother or sister in blue is tempered with the joy of reaching out to at-risk youth. As the father of 8-year-old Corey and 1-year-old Briana, McKinney looks forward to mentoring area young people.
While playing in the Brown Bears band, McKinney complemented the Detroit Police Department's Blue Pigs musical group by playing at elementary, middle and high schools. And even though he now plays jazz with the Jam Squad, he'll never forget the youngster who praised his rendition of 9-1-1 is Not a Joke and told McKinney the rap remake opened his eyes to the importance of emergency numbers.
"But it's not just the music; we mentor them about drug awareness, personal respect and crime prevention," McKinney said. "I am thankful ... that I can enforce the law, and in some circumstances, minister through my position as well."
McKinney has pledged to donate a portion of his CD sales to the families of the officers who perished in the World Trade Center tragedy. The CD sells for about $6.



Paula Bridges is a Metro Detroit free-lance writer.

INSIDE THE MUSIC BIZ ARTICLE
March 11, 2004
"INSIDE THE MUSIC BUSINESS TRAINING" ISSUE




Saxman Darron McKinney Answer's The "Call to Courage"
By Frank Inami Jamal
CORNBREAD PRODUCTIONS




Darron McKinney plays saxophone from the heart. Mckinney, 38, is a former deputy sheriff with the Wayne County Sheriff and puts his passion for being a positive force for change in people's life into his work. He recently released a 15-song CD called "Soft Spoken" on a label he founded, Shield Records. The contemporary Jazz CD is getting major attention due to a song on the disc entitled " A Call to Courage", a tune which is dedicated to the men and women of the nation's police force.

"I wrote 'A Call to Courage' to serve as a wake-up call and an inspiration to police officers everywhere. The message I wanted to convey is that the badge they wear represents the public's trust in them. I want to inspire police officers to establish a relationship with God", said McKinney who served 14 years in the Sheriff's department.

The song features vocals by Nichelle Colvin and has gained in significance after the September 11, 2001 attacks, a coincidence that McKinney finds prophetic--especially since he was invited to perform the song before 18,000 people in Washington, DC at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial candlelight vigil on May 13, 2001, nearly 4 months to the day before the attacks occurred. What is even more ironic to McKinney is that he performed the song approximately a half-mile from where the plane would strike the Pentagon.

Several branches of the US armed services have now picked up on the song and have used it as a rallying point of sorts, and it is even being broadcast on the Pentagon Network around the world. Many cable and educational TV stations have also begun broadcasting the video footage of McKinney's performance of the song that day in Washington, D.C. including Comcast cable in the Detroit area. While McKinney is, in his words, "humbled " by the widespread acceptance the song has received, he states that his initial aim was merely to let his fellow officers know that they were loved and appreciated, a fact that many do not realize until it is too late.

"To my surprise, I found there was a high rate of suicide among police officers. In 2003, 450 police officers committed suicide. That is double the national rate of officers killed in the line of the duty. I personally know 7 officers who killed themselves. There is even a rise in suicide among soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is really an epidemic", said McKinney.





Darron McKinney CD with
"Call To Courage"



McKinney comes from a well-respected jazz family in Detroit. The late Harold McKinney was his cousin, and another cousin, Gaelyn Mckinney, plays in the group Straight Ahead.

"Soft Spoken", which features co-production by his brothers Nathan and Martin, is Mckinney's second release on his label. His first, called "Inner Prizm" was released in 1996. Some of the musicians who performed on the CD make up McKinney's traveling band: Don Mayberry on bass; Jabari on drums and Mike Gelic on keyboards.

"I believe in using Detroit cats. We have some of the best musicians on the planet. In fact, my management was asking about using other musicians in other states for economic reasons, but I insisted on using my band", said McKinney.

McKinney's approach to the music business is extremely professional and top-notch, a fact he said was no accident.

"If you are going to get into this business, you have to know that you have to have your business in order: good compositions, good recordings, good musicians. What separates the professional from the amateur is that the pros recognize that in order to be marketable and competitive in this industry you have to have quality product. It's not easy. And it's not cheap", McKinney said

As head of Shield Records, McKinney is also very cognizant of how the modern recording industry operates.

"I been through the school of Hard Knocks. I have a box, literally, of rejection letters from the record companies that turned me down through the years.

"I sold thousands of CDs on my own and got the attention of Navarre", McKinney said referring to the Minneapolis-based distributor which has helped place his CDs all over the world.

"This is the way it is with [major] record labels now. They'd rather do business with somebody established, that has created a buzz in their hometown. I would also tell any aspiring artist to make sure their business in order: the publishing, the copyrights, and know your instrument. Know that this is what you want to do. Also, get advice from folks who have been out there. There are plenty of professional musicians in Detroit who are accessible", he continued.

In recording "Soft Spoken", McKinney relied upon The Disc recording studios in Eastpointe, one of the premier studios in the country, and used both analog and digital recording techniques to achieve the results he wanted. McKinney also included the video footage of of his Washington, DC performance on the CD as an added bonus.

Local response to the CD, available at area record stores, has been very favorable. In addition to the airplay of "A Call to Courage", other songs receiving rotation at area stations include "75 South" and "Shift Change".

Future plans for Shield Records and McKinney include work on a project with Cuba Gooding Sr, father of the Oscar-winning actor and former lead singer of the soul group, Main Ingredient, as well as attending to new signees to the label. McKinney also plans to travel around the country promoting "Soft Spoken", and do some dates with Jazz legends The Crusaders in a series of concerts.

McKinney says Shield Records is also looking for new acts of all styles, but not the minstrelsy and negativity that is "gangsta" rap. Those interested in submitting work can get more information at www.darronmckinney.com .

When asked about any final thoughts he would like to leave readers with, McKinney is quick to respond that his good fortunes is definitely not of his making, but of a higher power.

"I give all Honor and Praises to God", he stated.

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Featured Artist: Darron McKinney

CD Title: Soft Spoken

Year: 2003

Record Label: True Life Entertainment

Style: Smooth Jazz

Review: Detroit, Michigan, native Darron McKinney is not only a former sheriff in Wayne County, but an assistant minister of music at Greater St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church and a talented saxophonist, as well. McKinney caught the attention of people nationwide when he gave a riveting performance of the track, "A Call to Courage," at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial candlelight vigil on May 13, 2001, in Washington, D.C. The song was a tribute to slain police officers and their families.
"A Call to Courage" and an instrumental version of the song is included in the 15-track album, "Soft Spoken." McKinney studied with the legendary Alvin Batiste, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Betty Carter and Joe Sample. Music is certainly not foreign to McKinney, who is in a family of 10 siblings who also play musical instruments and sing. He is also a recipient of a Black Entertainment Television (BET) Discovery Award and often compared to the late Grover Washington Jr.

For a soft reflection, check out the track and notable hymn, "What a Friend." Another track, "Inner Prizm," gives a different view, presenting a subtle and exciting mix of smooth jazz. This song was co-written and produced by McKinney's brother, Nathan McKinney. The background voices in the track, "Never Alone," are not only smooth, but harmonized. I like the mix of tunes McKinney presents in this album. Overall, "Soft Spoken" is a great addition to any jazz music library.

Tracks: Soft Spoken, Shift Change, 75 South, Inner Prizm, What a Friend, Metro Lights, His Eye Is On the Sparrow, Never Alone (instrumental), Soulmate, Interlude, Corey's Song, Never Alone, Interlude, A Call to Courage, A Call to Courage (instrumental)

Record Label Website: http://www.TrueLifeEntertainment.com

Artist's Website: http://www.darronmckinney.com

Reviewed by: Natasha Washington

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