Sean McDonald – Have Mercy!
Sean McDonald – Have Mercy!
Format: CD
Label: Little Village Foundation
Release: 2025
With a musical heritage that’s produced James Brown, Sharon Jones and J.B. Hutto, the city of Augusta, Ga., has plenty of reasons to be proud. But the music world better make room for another powerful voice…Sean McDonald. From the opening notes of this CD, the 24-year-old will prove beyond a scintilla of doubt that he’s a dynamic vocalist/guitarist with a modern approach and old-school sensibilities who’s capable of ascending to the stars.
McDonald possesses a warm, smooth tenor with surprisingly wide range and exceptional behind-thebeat appeal. And he’s a picker whose single-note attack on the strings comes with a sting. Without a doubt, he’s a fully-rounded performer with an encyclopedic knowledge of classic and varied blues styles – everything from the azure licks of gospel giant Howard Carroll of the Dixie Hummingbirds to the swing of jazz-blues great Bill Jennings and the three Kings, B.B. Albert and Freddie, all of which masks the fact that he’s a recent college graduate from Middle Tennessee University, where he earned a major in audio production and a minor in music industry.
Mack’s an old man in a young man’s body who’s fused the essence of the past into a sound that’s totally his own but faithful to his heritage. Co-produced with Kid Andersen at Greaseland Studios, the lineup is studded with an all-star at each position with a couple of surprises, too. Kid handles second guitar with drummer June Core, keyboardist Jim Pugh and sax players Eric Spaulding and Jack Sanford with D’Quantae “Q” Johnson (Snoop Dog, Raphael Saadiq) on bass. The Morgan Brothers – formerly the Sons of the Soul Revivors – and Marcel Smith add gospel flair on backing vocals and trombonist Mike Rinta and vocalist Lisa Leuschner Andersen sit in, too. — Marty Gunther
Website: https://www.facebook.com/MackTheMusician
Tracks:
01. My Soul 3:20 (Rudy Moore)
02. Fakin’ It 3:56 (S. McDonald)
03. Killing Me 5:06 (S. McDonald)
04. Rocking in the Same Old Boat 4:51 (Deadric Malone)
05. Shuffleboard Swing 4:05 (S. McDonald)
06. Angel Baby 3:00 (S. McDonald)
07. Don’t Let the Devil Ride 5:14 (Oris Mays)
08. That’s All I Need 3:10 (Ike Turner)
09. Let’s Call It A Day 3:58 (Henry Glover)
Sean “Mack” McDonald – Vocals, guitar
The Morgan Brothers – Vocals
Marcel Smith – Vocals
Jim Pugh – Piano, organ
D’Quantae “Q” Johnson – Bass
June Core – Drums
Eric Spaulding – Tenor Sax
Jack Sanford – Bari Sax
Mike Rinta – Trombone (4)
Kid Andersen – Guitar (4)
Lisa Leuschner Andersen – Vocal (2)
Produced by Kid Andersen & Sean McDonald