Not a Garden Variety Musician
Doug McMinn
A Perennial Favorite in the Susquehanna Valley
Spring is here and while many of us here (myself included) in the Susquehanna Valley start planning what we might be growing in our garden and back yard, I can’t help but stop and think about one of the great perennials growing here in our own back yard. One of those perennials is Doug McMinn.
Born in Chambersburg, Pa., Doug has been involved with music since he was 10, when he was introduced into music with the 5th grade band program. In 1980, he formed his first group, The Killer Bees Swing Band, which made it’s mark in the bars of State College PA. In 1981, after taking up the guitar, he co-founded the Evan Pugh Revue, central PA’s first reggae band and also played blues and swing with Barbara Singer.
After moving to Lewisburg in 1983, he joined The pPITS, an eclectic punk band, and founded reggae rockers The Backbeats. A move to Williamsport ensued, and Doug joined several bands there over the years, including The Distance, Rhythm Face and The Impromtu Blues Band.
He spent some time with the very popular rhythm and blues group Fresh Oout of the Box, and was with The Sirens for five years, touring widely throughout the region. The Nightcrawlers, an eclectic blues band, had a five year run during the 1990′s, and Doug also played with State College’s AAA Blues Band, appearing on their High Water CD, which won Billboard magazine’s “Best Unsigned Band” contest in 1997.
Regional reggae star George Wesley called and Doug toured from upstate New York to the Maryland shore with him. Lumpy Gravy grew out of Doug’s friendship with Owen MacDonald in the Wesley band, forming in the Spring of 1998.
Since then, Doug has played extensive solo gigs, and played with Blues and Gasoline (which went to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge), appearing on their CD High Test. He was also a member of the extremely popular David Lynn Band. Along with Lumpy Gravy, he currently plays with the Shade Tree Mechanics blues group, The Doug McMinn Jazz Quartet, Sink or Swing, and Black n’ Blues. For the last two years, Doug has played in a blues/roots/jazz duo with Hannah Bingman, in addition to continuing his solo performances.
McMinn has jammed with notables including Steve Miller, Lonnie Shields, Saffire, Townes Van Zandt, E. G. Kight, Peter Stampfel, Gary Lucas, Sonny Rhodes, ULU, Hypnotic Clambake and Queen Bee. Doug was a founder of the Billtown Blues Festival, where he has performed five times, most recently with Black n’ Blues in 2007.
When I asked who inspired him to become a musician, Doug’s response was;
“I started playing at such a young age, it’s hard to say. I guess my parents, who were determined to get some more use out of my sister’s old clarinet…”
Growing up, Doug was exposed by many different influences he explained.
“My older brother got a Heath kit radio for Christmas in 1960 or ’61, and in the course of watching my brother and father assemble it, I got the bug for pop music. We had a tube radio around the house, and I took it to my room and went to sleep every night with it on. So I can remember everything from doo-wop to Bobby Vinton and Gene Pitney through girl groups, early Motown, and the Beach Boys. The Beatles, of course were a revelation (saw ‘em on Sullivan the first time) and all the other Brit Invasion groups, the Stones, Animals, Kinks, Dave Clark Five – I could go on and on. Fast forward to the San Francisco scene (Jeffeson Airplane, Grateful Dead), which led to jazz, reggae, and African pop. I’ve always liked black music as much as white – soul, blues and old-school R&B. It was so un-cool in my circles to like the Jackson Five when they hit!”
Who is Doug listening to now?
“I love Lucinda Williams, especially her live record, and Wilco’s live record. I’m in a songwriter phase right now, especially liking Townes VanZandt, Steve Earle and Michael Hurley. I’ve enjoyed a live disc from Neko Case as well. Dylan’s music means more to me every year, and his albums since he almost died are all excellent. Don’t know about the Christmas one!”
Who would you like to perform with?
Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Parker, though I’d be terrified….
Past music endeavors/bands:
Too many to count. High points would include The Killer Bees Swing Band, Evan Pugh Revue and The Triple A Blues (all from State College), The Barbara Singer Band, The pPitz (Lewisburg), and the George Wesley Band (Wilkes Barre).
Current bands/projects:
Lumpy Gravy (original rock), Hannah Bingman and Doug McMinn, Black’n'Blues, Shade Tree Mechanics , Doug McMinn Jazz Quartet, and Sink or Swing.
Accomplishments?
My clarinet was on a cut on E. G. Kight’s last CD, and my contribution got a lot of nice comments from the various revewers in blues world. I played at the Bottom Line in New York City once with Peter Stampfel of the Holy Modal Rounders – it was a thrill to be on that stage, where so many greats played thourgh the years. Though I’ve jammed with a number of national blues acts (Lonnie Shields, Saffire, Sonny Rhodes) the high point would be the night that Steve Miller and his band wandered into my gig at the Old Corner Hotel in Williamsport and played a set with our harp guy, guitarist and me on sax. He even played my guitar.
You can catch Doug playing around the valley. Every first Wednesday he’s at the Bullfrog Brewery in Williamport, Pa with The Doug McMinn Jazz Quartet.