As long as guitarist Doug Brockie can remember, musical ideas have been flowing through his head. With no formal training, Doug was a natural on the guitar. You could say it was in the family DNA as his dad played trombone and his grandfather played in a banjo orchestra. He fondly remembers his aunt, who despite a handicap, "played the most beautiful music on her accordion." They were his inspiration.
His early band days included stints with Jersey favorites INFINITY, SKYFORCE, and COBALT (where Doug shared the stage with former Johnny Winter alumnus, drummer Richard Hughes). Doug was honing his skills and ready to make his mark on the world. Rick Derringer caught a Cobalt show and got him an audition with Winter. He joined Winter (and Hughes) on the highly successful Saints and Sinners tour, where the band performed to sold-out audiences throughout the U.S. and Canada--including a magical night at Madison Square Garden. Winter fans refer to this tour as the one to have seen.
Next, Doug was off to Europe to collaborate with legendary Cream drummer Ginger Baker. The band toured in support of its album "Humble Origins." Even today, it remains highly collectible. In 1976, Doug was back in the States performing at a Halloween show when jazz giant saxophonist Joe Farrell (who was discovered by Elvin Jones) heard Doug’s magic and asked him to join him for a series of radio concerts.
Jazz was a different language, but Doug embraced it. To this day, he considers John Mclaughlin and The Mahavishnu Orchestra major influences. His true love though, was the sound of a loud guitar and his next musical journey certainly required just that sound. Original Thin Lizzy members Brian Robertson and Brian Downey asked him to join them for a series of European dates. The concerts were a tribute to Thin Lizzy founder Phil Lynott.
Today, Doug finds himself busy with numerous CD and Internet projects. A chance meeting and subsequent jam session with long-time friend Steve Fontaine Maury (from the INFINITY days), and Jamie Janoff showed significant promise. "People loved our initial demos and I once again felt the magic of a power trio," Doug said.
Enter WINTERCream, whose repertoire includes the songs from his bandmates as well as from his solo career. "It’s music that has stood the test of time, and it’s music that I need to share with the masses. I can’t wait to hit the stage again," he says with a smile. "Wait till people hear this band."
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