Kensington Market

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Kensington Market was a pioneering psychedelic-rock band from Toronto whose brief but brilliant run from 1967 to 1969 produced two of Canada’s most adventurous albums of the era. Named after the city’s vibrant downtown neighborhood, the group was assembled by rising music entrepreneur Bernie Finkelstein, who envisioned a progressive Canadian band that could hold its own against the wave of American and British rock innovators. What emerged was a bold, genre-defying outfit that fused folk-rock sensibility with orchestral textures, poetic lyricism, and early synthesizer experimentation—decades ahead of its time.

At the heart of Kensington Market was Keith McKie, an English-born singer-songwriter raised in Sault Ste. Marie. After leading the local band The Vendettas, McKie was recruited by Finkelstein to form a new group centered on his introspective songwriting. The lineup came together quickly: Gene Martynec, a gifted guitarist and pianist from Bobby Kris & The Imperials; Alex Darou, McKie’s former bandmate and a jazz-influenced bassist; and Jimmy Watson, a versatile young drummer from Belfast.

By the summer of 1967, the Market had debuted at the Night Owl club in Yorkville and released two early singles on Stone Records. That same year, following the breakup of Luke & The Apostles, they added charismatic frontman Luke Gibson to the fold. With Gibson’s soulful voice and harmonica work complementing McKie’s pastoral style, the band’s sound grew richer and more layered.

Their debut album, Avenue Road (1968), was produced in New York by Felix Pappalardi, who had just finished work on Cream’s Disraeli Gears. Named after the street that intersects Toronto’s Yorkville district, Avenue Road offered lush melodies, sitar textures, and dreamy lyrics. That same year, the band composed music for the National Film Board’s The Ernie Game, becoming one of the first Canadian rock groups to score a feature film.

In 1969, the band pushed further into uncharted sonic territory with their second album, Aardvark. Recorded at Eastern Sound Studios in Toronto, the album saw the addition of John Mills-Cockell, a classically trained synthesizer pioneer from the experimental collective Intersystems. His massive Moog modular synthesizer brought eerie, otherworldly textures to tracks like “Help Me” and “Cartoon,” making Aardvark one of the earliest Canadian rock albums to incorporate electronic music. Once again produced by Pappalardi, the album was a psychedelic opus that blended Renaissance flourishes, analog experimentation, and McKie’s most evocative songwriting.

Despite acclaim and a growing reputation as one of Canada’s most innovative live acts, the band succumbed to internal tensions and heavy drug use. By late 1969, Kensington Market had dissolved. Gibson and Finkelstein briefly moved to a rural commune in Killaloe, Ontario, while Martynec transitioned into a successful career as a producer for Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLauchlan, and others. Mills-Cockell went on to form the groundbreaking synth-rock group Syrinx, releasing cult albums on Finkelstein’s newly formed True North Records. McKie pursued a solo career, releasing the album Rumors at the Newsstand in 1981.

Though Kensington Market’s commercial impact was modest, their artistic legacy endures. They were one of the first Canadian bands to break away from American and British influences, forging a homegrown sound that was ambitious, literate, and distinctly experimental. Their recordings remain a vivid testament to the creative spirit of Toronto’s Yorkville scene at its peak—a time when music was boundless, boundaries were blurred, and even an Aardvark could fly.
-Robert Williston

Original Lineup (Spring–Summer 1967)
Keith McKie: vocals, rhythm guitar
Gene Martynec: lead guitar, piano, backing vocals
Alex Darou: bass
Jimmy Watson: drums, percussion, sitar (studio only)

Classic Lineup (Fall 1967–1969)
Keith McKie: vocals, rhythm guitar
Gene Martynec: lead guitar, piano, backing vocals
Alex Darou: bass
Jimmy Watson: drums, percussion, sitar (studio only)
Luke Gibson: vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar

Expanded Lineup (Recording of Aardvark, 1969)
Keith McKie: vocals, rhythm guitar
Gene Martynec: lead guitar, piano, backing vocals
Luke Gibson: vocals, harmonica, rhythm guitar
Alex Darou: bass
Jimmy Watson: drums
John Mills-Cockell: Moog synthesizer, organ