Binky McKenzie
Binky McKenzie | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Michael Keith Winston McKenzie |
| Also known as | Binky McKenzie |
| Born | 1947/1948 British Guiana |
| Genres | Jazz, Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Years active | 1960's |
Michael Keith Winston McKenzie, better known as Binky McKenzie, is a musician.
During the 1960’s he played and recorded with a number of influential musicians including Alexis Korner, John McLaughlin, Pete Brown, Denny Laine, Vincent Crane and Duffy Power.
His parents were UK immigrants from Guyana, formerly British Guiana. Accompanied by his mother Edna, he arrived in the UK from British Guiana on 18 April 1950 as a two year old infant. His father Winston McKenzie was a jazz bass player.
Career
In late 1966 McKenzie joined Hughie Flint as a member Alexis Korner's short lived band Free At Last, replacing Cliff Barton on bass guitar. On 31 January 1967 at Philips Studios, Marble Arch, London the trio recorded ‘Rosie’. It was released as a single on the Fontana record label in April 1967 (TF 817). Flint remembered McKenzie as "an amazing guy, very young and undisciplined". [1]
In the mid 1960’s McKenzie became friends with John McLaughlin. In January 1967 they played together on the Duffy Power composition ‘Just Stay Blue’. The track showcases some astonishing bass playing by McKenzie. [2]
McLaughlin was so impressed by McKenzie’s bass playing that he recommended him to Miles Davis. [3] McLaughlin went on to play guitar on the acclaimed Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, recorded in August 1969. McLaughlin composed the jazz blues number ‘Binky’s Beam’ as a tribute to McKenzie. It has an unusual 11/8 time signature and featured on McLaughlin’s 1969 album ‘Extrapolation’. McLaughlin states in the liner notes “this is dedicated to Binky McKenzie, one of the greatest bass players”.
Acclaim
During this period McKenzie was dating Anne Fraser, sister of Andy Fraser who went on to become the bass player and songwriter with the group Free. McKenzie would often visit the Fraser’s home in Horndean Close, Roehampton, London, SW15. Fraser would leave his own bass guitar lying around the house in the hope that McKenzie would pick it up and play. Fraser always maintained that Binky McKenzie had a significant influence on his own bass playing. In November 2014 Andy Fraser said of McKenzie:
“He was an incredible bass player. And when I say incredible, I mean incredible. He was like the next Jimi Hendrix on bass. But he had some kind of chip on his shoulder and drugs seemed to make it worse. I would listen to him (at home) from the other room and learn all I could, absorb every little thing. He was literally a genius and he was playing with people like Alexis Korner, taking over from Jack Bruce, and he was like, wow, this guy is something else. His younger brother played guitar and both of them introduced me to lots of other musicians in their area, North London” [4]
McKenzie also recorded sessions with Pete Brown during August 1967 and January 1968.[5] Brown later recalled:
“I thought he was way ahead of his time. He had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, because at the time, black musicians had a hard time of it. The openings were so few, it didn’t matter how good you were. But he was such an innovator on the bass. Binky did drugs. Not much, just personal use. But his parents got very heavy about it and called the police in, and Binky did time. When he came out of the ‘nick’ (prison), he was one very, very angry young man indeed.” [6]
In 1969 McLaughlin also referred to this initial period of incarceration in the liner notes to ‘Extrapolation’, saying at the time he felt that Binky had been “unjustly jailed with his brother Bunny”.
Siege at 17 Olive Road, London, NW2
On Thursday 29 July 1971 at the family home in Cricklewood, North West London, Binky McKenzie went on a violent rampage. He killed his mother Edna, father Winston, and brother-in-law Richard Sims. All victims were stabbed multiple times. His younger sister Candy was also stabbed and seriously injured but survived the attack. [7]
Shortly after the killing spree the house was surrounded by armed police. McKenzie barricaded himself inside the bathroom using a variety of items including a wardrobe and two double basses. [8] A siege ensued lasting four-and-a-half hours. A police marksman went into the attic with a CS gas gun. He bored a hole through the bathroom ceiling and fired a CS gas shell into the room. McKenzie immediately rushed out on to the landing holding a knife in each hand. Four policemen struggled to overpower him. He was eventually restrained injuring a policeman in the process. [9]
Sentence
At the Old Bailey in March 1972, McKenzie was found guilty on three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. [10] He was detained at Broadmoor. McKenzie was 24 years old at the time of the sentence. [11]
Candy McKenzie (Sister)
Candy McKenzie went on to have a successful music career as a backing singer and recorded with a number of artistes including Bob Marley, Leonard Cohen, Witney Houston and Diana Ross. [12]
References
- ^ Harry Shapiro (7 August 1997). "Alexis Korner: The Biography". Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-7475316-3-0
- ^ "Duffy Power – Just Stay Blue on YouTube".
- ^ Paul Stump (27 September 1999). "Go Ahead John: The Music of John McLaughlin". SAF Publishing Ltd. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-9467192-4-2
- ^ "Andy Fraser of Free - Interview with Glide Magazine)".
- ^ "Bathed In Lightning - John McLaughlin Recordings including The Pete Brown Sessions 1967-68)".
- ^ Paul Stump (27 September 1999). "Go Ahead John: The Music of John McLaughlin". SAF Publishing Ltd. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-9467192-4-2
- ^ Jan Bondeson (28 June 2015). "Murder Houses of Greater London". Matador Publishing Ltd. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-7846233-3-3
- ^ "Birmingham Daily Post, Saturday 31 July 1971, p. 7, Police use gas to end death house siege".
- ^ "Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Friday 30 July 1971, p. 1, Riot gas ends death house siege".
- ^ "Metropolitan Police Registered Crime Files Reference: MEPO 26/153".
- ^ "Liverpool Echo, Thursday 9 March 1972, p. 7, Triple killer for Broadmoor".
- ^ "Candy McKenzie -Trojan Records Biography".