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| Karyn Kirkwood (Miss Kiki) ~ Vocals & Various Things |
Karyn eschewed the mainstream pop and disco music of her youth, absorbing instead jazz greats such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey and Sarah Vaughan.
Karyn performed as a singer and dancer in musical theatre during her formative years, and was cast in the role of the "working girl" numerous times. The risqué persona and sultry stage presence captures the essence of Indigo Riff.
Karyn performed with a jazz trio in the Ottawa area in the early 80's, and performed on the stage of the National Arts Centre several times. After some career moves, she found herself performing in a jazz duo based in the Fergus-Elora area. Then, she, along with David, Dean and Bob, created Indigo Riff and everything fell into place.
Karyn also plays piano & guitar, but prefers not to in front of real musicians. We're not sure why.
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| Dean Macdonald ~ Drums & Percussion |
Dean launched his musical career at an early age, starting with piano. At twelve he grabbed some sticks and moved to the drums, playing with a number of bands in his home town of St. Catharines, Ontario. He gained much experience in genres ranging from Jazz, Country, Big Band to even Polka.
He studied drumming with Jim Blackley, classical percussion with Paul Houle (Royal Conservatory) and Modern Arranging & Composition with Gordon Delamont and Neil Pooley.
Working in the Yorkville club scene for a few years transformed into a three-year tour through the USA and the Caribbean. Returning to Toronto, Dean became a permanent member of the John Arpin Trio performing on radio, television, in recording studios and on the club and concert scene.
When not performing with Indigo Riff, Dean enjoys a successful career in social work and teaching. His social work background comes in handy as his band-mates are often in need of therapy.
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| Bob McFee ~ Piano & Vocals |
Bob's early musical development was influenced by the sound of big bands, having often accompanied his parents to the swinging dances of the 1950's. Bob studied classical piano from the age of five, and drawing on that earlier influence, studied the big band style in his teens.
Bob played in dance bands and various rock, country, and folk groups but in his thirties Bob started to study jazz, harmony, and improvisation. He played with the Kitchener jazz quartet, Flight 251, jazz/blues band, Ganache (with David Atkinson), and more recently, Bob co-founded Indigo Riff, where his signature piano riffs help define the sound of the band.
When not performing with Indigo Riff, Bob has a multi-faceted career designing web applications, photographing art, and processing digital images. Visit www.mcfeedesign.blogspot.com.
Bob is instrumental in making sure Indigo Riff gets to all gigs on time. Despite the dragging, kicking and screaming, the rest of the band is much obliged.
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| David Atkinson ~ Upright Bass & Vocals |
David cites a "wide variety of musical influences" that have shaped his musical stylings, a description which sounds vague enough (in a nebulous sort of way) to mean just about anything.
He played in various pop and rock bands in the sixties starting his musical experiences playing guitar, but when his band decided a bass player was needed he jumped at the chance.
In the 70s, David played bass in the Kitchener bluegrass band, Hickory Ridge. Since the mid-90s, David has performed in musical acts from Country to Folk to East Coast to Blues. More recently, he co-founded (with Bob McFee) the jazz/blues band, Ganache
When not playing with Indigo Riff, David is a well-respected Canadian visual artist and woodworker specializing in the demanding and somewhat obscure art form known as Marquetry. He also hand-crafts custom electric guitars & basses, routinely performing with his own line of instruments. To see some of his work visit www.atkinsonwoodart.com.
