Drummer Sandy MacKay has been part of the Southwestern Ontario music scene for over 50 years. Originally from Ingersoll, he moved to London in 1969 to play with the rock group Truck and subsequently with the groups Persuasion,Tanis and Terry Dee’s Flying Rock and Roll Circus.
He was a regular participant in the FM96 “Live from the Marienbad” jazz radio broadcasts 1980-1983 hosted by Janice Zolf.
From 1984-1989 he held the drum chair with the Juno-nominated (1985) Oliver Whitehead Quintet and appeared at Montreal Jazz Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Toronto DuMaurier Jazz Festival, Montreaux-Detroit Jazz Festival, Edmonton ‘s Jazz City and Vancouver ‘s World Expo ’86.
From 1983-1998 he played drums for the dance band Hawthorne.
Sandy has been the Artistic Director of the JAZZ FOR THE PEOPLE concert series at the Wolf Performance Hall in London, Ontario since 1986, presenting + playing over 300 concerts.
He currently drums with the Nevin Campbell Trio, the Ken Foster Quartet, Rick Kish & Friends Combo,Laurraine Segouin & Enchante, The “Young Ones”,Roy “Elvis” Leblanc, and jazz vocal trio Take Three.
He currently hosts the “Jazz Junction” radio show, heard Sundays 9 AM – 1PM worldwide at www.1069thex.com(106.9FM)
In 2011, Sandy was chosen by his peers to be the recipient of the Forest City London Music Award, Jazz Instrumentalist Distinction.
He uses HeadHunters Maple C and Hickory B Bop Hickory drumsticks