2023 JUNO Nominee
- Blues Album Of The Year
2023 Independent Blues Awards Nominations
-Best New Artist CD
-Best Modern Roots Song
2019 Independent Blues Awards Nominations
-Independant Blues Rock CD
-Best New Artist
-Best Contemporary Blues Song
2017 Blues Artist Of The Year
-Niagara Music Awards
2016 New Artist Of The Year
-Maple Blues Awards
International Songwriting Competition 2016
-3rd Place Winner Blues Category
2016 Toronto Blues Society
-Talent Search Winner
With his fluid phrasing, resonant tone, and expressive performances, one could believe Spencer Mackenzie was born on Beale Street. They, however, would be wrong. The lauded JUNO-nominated blues-rock artist hails from Southern Ontario and has steadily earned accolades, and the attention of blues aficionados from around the World. Leaving nothing behind when he steps to the stage, Mackenzie offers showgoers a powerhouse performance, commanding his guitar with sophistication and prowess beyond his years.
For nearly a decade, Maple Blues Award winner Spencer Mackenzie has been writing and recording true blues, showcasing the raw emotion and honesty the genre demands. There’s a familiarity and ease with which he approaches the music, almost as though it flows through rather than from him. The energy of his work is infectious, permeating through the listener until they, too, feel the heartbeat of the blues.
His passion for the genre deepens as he explores the works of blues legends while simultaneously being influenced by the bold energy of renowned blues rock musicians. This fusion of styles along with Spencer's unique sound in his new upcoming album ‘Empty Chairs’ embodies this gritty, introspective style with electrifying guitar featuring punchy riffs, soaring organ, dynamic vocals and an explosive rhythm section.
Mackenzie's high-energy, captivating performance is one that grabs the audience from the moment the first note is played. With numerous Canadian, European, and US shows performed, some of his most notable performances include the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Festival d'Été, Moulin Blues Ospel, Ribs & Blues Raalte and Kulturring Schöppingen Blues Festival alongside acts such as Walter Trout, Fantastic Negrito, Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton, just to name a few.
With an electrifying presence and a new album tour on the horizon, this left-handed guitar slinger shows no signs of slowing down, delivering a performance that leaves audiences buzzing long after the final note.
Media Quotes:
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'This is music will make you feel something, maybe even grab you and shove you up against the wall.....This feels like the beginning of something big, maybe even huge.' - Gonzo Okanagan (Canada)
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Spencer Mackenzie was compared to a young Joe Bonamassa during his introduction – putting undue pressure on him – but in many ways, the comparison fit: His voice is similarly bright and like Joe, Mackenzie’s guitar playing, drawing on the past legends of the blues genre, reveals him as a torchbearer. - Vincent Abbate 30th Schöppingen International Blues Festival Schöppingen (Germany)
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'His rich vocals and crisp attack on guitar should garner even more attention with this commanding mix of original blues-infused soul and blues-rock.' - Chicago Blues Guide (US)
Spencer Mackenzie celebrates his first nomination at the Junos for his album Preach To My Soul at the age of 25. He seduces with his powerful voice and expressive guitar playing. - Sors-Tu Festival d'été de Québec
“His guitar playing is crisp and clean even as it delivers some down- to-the bone licks…He’s got the blues power in his soul...”
- Blues Blast Magazine (US)
‘Spencer Mackenzie has a few things that older blues veterans can’t speak to and those are his strengths at this point–his youthful hope with an eye toward the future… and he’ll be the one taking the blues there with him. Believe it!’ - Tom O’Connor, Rock and Blues Muse (US)
'Preach To My Soul, could well be the major international breakthrough of Spencer MacKenzie.'- Concert Monkey (Belguim)
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'Spencer's songwriting, vocals and guitar playing all display continued growth and maturity - which has lead to the creation of an album that can stand with the best of contemporary blues releases' - Toronto Blues Society (Canada)
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Spencer Mackenzie sets the bar high with an album of great maturity, one of those works that we would swear out of the discography of an old veteran who has spent many years on the chitlin 'circuit to get so much mastery.’ - Fred Delforge, ZicaZic (FR)
‘The proof, as someone once said, is in the pudding, and Mackenzie is not only a mean guitarist with a throaty and surprisingly mature voice, but he has an obvious innate feel for the blues that some players spend a lifetime not connecting to.’ - Shane Pinnagar, 100 Percent Rock Magazine (US)
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'His guitar playing, both on Gibson and Fender is equally astonishing. Now that’s so many greats in the genre have already passed away it is very refreshing to hear that such a youngster continues the tradition so richly and passionately' -OOR Magazine (Netherlands)
‘Virtuoso pulls out all the stops in his new album!’ - Concert Monkey (Belgium)
‘Mackenzie puts his artistry on full display with his seasoned melodic phrasing and creative tone-crafting to fit whatever moods he pursues.’ – JAZZ.FM91 (Canada)
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'As is often claimed in such cases, Spencer Mackenzie turns out to be something of an old soul transported into a young body. How to explain if not that at barely 22 years old, his guitar playing expresses so much the still vivid memory of heroes of yesteryear?'- Paris Move (France)
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'Niagara Blues master Spencer Mackenzie has been topping himself with every release and his latest phenomenal album, Preach to My Soul, is no different. This Gypsy Soul Records release (distributed by Warner Canada) is a massive step forward.'- Blues Lovers Hamilton (Canada)
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'Spencer Mackenzie has since developed his own sound, a vintage sound, a style that resonates and has the phrasing of a seasoned musician. And this despite his young age. Good looking!'- Keys and Chords (Belgium)
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“His strength is his natural aptitude for the blues…” “Spencer Mackenzie’s new album, 'Preach to My Soul' will surely fascinate the true blues crowd, while crossing the barriers inspiring soul and roots fans…” ESC for Rootstime (Belgium)
‘Working with producer Dean Malton and on one track none other than Eddie Kramer, he has moved into the big leagues.’ – John Valenteyn, Toronto Blues Society (CA)
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‘Goodbye Lucille is the best musical tribute to BB King I've ever heard.’ - Blues Matters Magazine (UK)
‘On Cold November, he aims to warm people’s hearts instead of their libidos. He’d give crooner Sam Smith some stiff competition if the two ever performed together.’ - Rainey Wetnight, Blues Blast Magazine (US)
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