posts by Adam McKinney
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS As the dog days of summer descend on the Pacific Northwest, eyes look to a time when layers and long sleeves will return and it’s even more enticing to venture outside; and in any city worth its salt, there ought to be venues that feature consistent bookings showcasing a …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS “I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t play guitar.” — Vince Brown Olympians may well recognize Vince Brown as a guitarist who has thoroughly knitted himself into the fabric of the Pacific Northwest’s jazz scene. As a founding member of western-swing outfit Red Brown and the Tune …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS It’s a dream, for many, to have their presence keenly felt in their community. Whether this be through the simple act of offering a friendly face, lending a hand in civic projects or providing beauty through the arts, leaving a positive impression is an admirable goal for anyone to …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS It’s not uncommon for certain members of musical genres to become cliquey, forbidding outside entrance from other genres. Of them all, country in particular has enjoyed its embrace of tradition, shunning any meddling from the greater musical world. This stereotype is certainly not without its exceptions, though, and country’s …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS With cultures mixing and matching with increasing amorousness, it’s only natural for music to spread like dandelion flowers from one side of the world to another. It’s because of this cross-pollination that we arrive at groups like the John Welsh Band. A multicultural outfit, the John Welsh Band incorporates …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Ideally, duos should possess the kind of magnetism and presence that let you forget the lack of a big backing band. Simon and Garfunkel clearly had that quality. After a listen to Sundae + Mr. Goessl, one can hear their love for each other melding with their musical prowess …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Sometimes it’s easy to hear the connection two artists share with each other, meaning they’re so on the same page that the authorial voice seems to be coming from one mind. Blaze and Kelly have been writing and performing together since 2004, and that history comes across in the …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS While there are certainly plenty of talented country artists in America these days, there was a golden age for country music that ran from roughly the late ’50s through the ’70s. It was in these times that the so-called “outlaw country” of people like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS It’s easy for one’s ears to get comfortable listening to the sounds that regularly come drifting off the radio — background music, singalongs, crowd-pleasing jams that everyone with a head and heart can get on board with. This complacency can form a barrier in the head, a moat around …
by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Few genres inspire more passion and reverence for tradition than jazz. A quintessentially American art form, jazz and its permutations have been around in one form or another since the late 19th century, with roots in New Orleans. In the ’40s, jazz found a vibrant resurgence in the form …