Little Axe
Skip McDonald | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bernard Alexander |
| Also known as | Little Axe |
| Born | 1949 (age 74–75) Dayton, Ohio United States |
| Genres | R&B, hip hop,[1] blues, industrial,[1] dub[2] |
| Occupation(s) | Musician Songwriter Record producer Musical string arranger |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1973 - present |
| Labels | Sugar Hill, Wired, Real World, Fat Possum, Okeh |
Skip McDonald (born Bernard Alexander, 1949, Dayton, Ohio[3]) is an American musician who also performs under the stage name Little Axe.
Career
Early career
Grounded in blues music learned from his father, McDonald spent his early days playing jazz, doo-wop, and gospel, and eventually relocated to New York City as a teenager with his band of friends, called The Entertainers.[2][3]
McDonald formed the group Wood Brass & Steel in 1973 with bass guitarist Doug Wimbish and drummer Harold Sargent. The group recorded two albums before their 1979 breakup.[3] He then became part of the house band for Sugarhill Records and appeared as a session player on many early rap albums, including "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five.
Post-Sugarhill
After leaving Sugarhill, McDonald, Wimbish, and drummer Keith LeBlanc began working with Adrian Sherwood, and eventually formed the trio into the industrial/dub group Tackhead, initially fronted by Gary Clail and later Bernard Fowler.[3] McDonald would also collaborate with Sherwood on other projects, including albums by African Head Charge and Mark Stewart.[2]
In the 1990s, McDonald assumed the moniker "Little Axe" and began moving from hip hop to a form of blues that drew from an array of musical influences, including dub, R&B, gospel, and jazz.[2] He has been working steadily as a studio musician, recording both his own blues albums, continuing to appear as a guest act on other artists' albums as well. His most recent albums have been released on Real World Records. Alan Glen is often featured on harmonica on these albums.[3]
In 2009 he collaborated with Mauritanian musician Daby Touré to produce a record titled Call My Name.
As of 2016, he still tours and gigs regularly, has a loyal following and is in regular demand for session work as a guitarist.
Discography
- The Wolf that House Built (1994, Okeh/Wired)
- Slow Fuse (1996, Wired)
- Hard Grind (2002,On-U Sound)
- Champagne & Grits (2004, Real World/Virgin)
- Stone Cold Ohio (2006, Real World/Virgin)
- Bought for a Dollar, Sold for a Dime (2010, Real World)
- If You Want Loyalty Buy a Dog (2011, On-U Sound)
References
- ^ a b John Bush. "Tackhead - Music Biography, Streaming Radio and Discography - AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ a b c d Jason Ankeny. "Little Axe - Music Biography, Streaming Radio and Discography - AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ a b c d e Allmusic biography
External links
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| National | |
| Artists | |
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