In 1984, McKee joined Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd and appeared on several Grammy-nominated recordings. Over the years, McKee has served on the jazz faculty at schools including DePaul University, Youngstown State University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Missouri at Kansas City and Florida State University.

McKee maintains a busy schedule as a clinician and guest artist, and his arrangements and compositions have been performed and recorded by professional and academic jazz ensembles worldwide. His recording “Gallery” was released to critical acclaim and features performances by Carl Fontana, Bobby Shew, Tim Ries and Ron Stout. McKee appeared on the recording “Back When It Was Fun” with 7 on 7, a group comprising musician-educators from colleges across the country. Additional recordings include big band projects by Dan Gailey (University of Kansas) and Steve Owen (University of Oregon).

Originally from New Orleans, and while still in high school there, Al spent his weekends on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge absorbing the formidable talents of Carl Fontana- Al’s mentor. In later life, Fontana said of him “nobody gets around the horn any better than Al Hermann”.

While in New Orleans, Al was featured with the Dukes of Dixieland, called for the New Orleans Symphony, and was a regular at the Roosevelt (Fairmont) Hotel, where he backed such luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Julie London, and Peggy Lee. He has sided with the Woody Hermann Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, Buddy Morrow, Wild Bill Davidson, Doc Cheatham, Ellis Marsalis, Spike Robinson, Warren Vache, Dave Grusin, Eddie Daniels, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Pietro, President Bill Clinton, and many other outstanding musicians.

With Paul Romain: drums, Dave Hanson: piano, Mark Simon: bass

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