Little Axe

Occupation(s)Musician
Songwriter
Record producer
Musical string arrangerInstrument(s)Vocals, guitarYears active1973–presentLabelsSugar Hill, Wired, Real World, Fat Possum, Okeh

Skip McDonald (born Bernard Alexander, September 1949)^[3][4] is an American musician who also performs under the stage name Little Axe.

Career

Early career

Grounded in blues music learned from his father, a steel worker who played blues guitar at weekends,^[4] 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 recordings, 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 also collaborated 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, and continuing to appear as a guest act on other artists' albums. 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 an album, 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

• Never Turn Back (1993, Spin)
• 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)
• Wanted - Live 1996 (2012, Little Axe Recordings)
• Return (2013, Echo Beach)
• One Man - One Night (2016, 12:10 Records)
• London Blues (2017, Echo Beach)

With Melba Moore

• I'm in Love (Capitol Records, 1988)
• Soul Exposed (Orpheus, 1990)

With Sinéad O'Connor

• Faith and Courage (Atlantic Records, 2000)
• Sean-Nós Nua (Vanguard Records, 2002)

With Brenda K. Starr

• I Want Your Love (Mirage, 1985)

With Candi Staton

• Nightlites (Sugar Hill Records, 1982)

With Donna Summer

• Mistaken Identity (Atlantic Records, 1991)

References