All I can say is wow. Not only is Andy a great musician, he’s also a really great guy – incredibly talented and incredibly humble.

In case you haven’t heard any of Andy’s music, I’ve included his most popular Youtube video of the song Drifting below.

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An Evening with Andy McKee – Images by Shivani Parmar

As a matter of fact, if I thought I could be a decent musician, I’d probably not even be a photographer.

My music choices tend to be pretty eclectic since I’m always exploring what’s out there. I’m actually pretty embarrassed to admit some of the songs I’m in love with at any given time, but now I’ve decided I’m going to start writing what’s on my playlist – who knows, maybe you’ll like some of these songs too.

My first: Pure Imagination (from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) performed by Maroon 5.

I’m in love with this song – just the right blend of creepy and cool (though they could have been even more edgy and it would have still worked). Wish the guitar part was a little better around 2:09, but you know me, my expectations for guitar riffs tend to be pretty high… Enjoy!

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Nobody plays Soul Serenade quite like Derek Trucks and his band. This is hands down the best version I’ve ever heard of the King Curtis classic. Unfortunately the recording isn’t that great since it’s from a live performance and the speakers cut in and out a bit. But it’s still the best version I’ve ever heard. Below is the recording (it’s 10 minutes long, but so worth it).

By the way, you can hear lots of full recordings of the Derek Trucks band on the official Derek Trucks website.

If you get a chance, definitely also listen to Duane Allman’s version of Soul Serenade too, which happens halfway through the song You Don’t Love Me (Dreams disc).

(As a note, King Curtis died in 1971. He was stabbed to death in front of his apartment. The story goes that it was during a heat wave and he was bringing back an air conditioner to his home. There were two guys shooting drugs on his front stoop who refused to get out of his way. They got into an argument and, well, one thing led to another. King Curtis’s funeral was led by a young Rev. Jesse Jackson, and an hour-long version of Soul Serenade was played. The intro to You Don’t Love Me by Duane is referencing this incident. -Sorry, just can’t seem to find the right online recording of it but I’ll post it if I do find it.)

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If you like these, you should definitely check out the CandyRat video collection.

Hope you enjoy!

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I’m always exploring the guitar world, and while I have no doubt I’ll be back with Duane and Clapton in a month, for right now I’m completely Phunkdified by Justin King. I hope you enjoy!

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