Don McGreevy

Don McGreevy is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and composer based in the lower Hudson Valley. He works extensively in many disciplines of rock, including post-, pop-, orchestral-, psychedelic-, avant-, and progressive-rock, as well as traditional blues. Don’s harmony work is informed by all traditional and modern music and culture, such as avant-garde art music, early music, 19th- and 20th-century classical, minimalism, R&B, American primitive, African music and rhythms, Native Central and North American music, Russian/Eastern European music, French impressionism, and industrial noise.

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Don’s father taught him drums and guitar and allowed him to sit in his band’s live music sessions before the age of 10. His grandfather, a tenor in a barbershop quartet, taught him harmonic singing and piano. Throughout his entire childhood, Don accompanied both his grandfather and father to a wide array of live musical performances. With the further guidance of guitarist Timothy Young (James Corden, Reggie Watts) and a mentorship with Wayne Horvitz, Don furthered his studies of music theory.

From 1996 to 2020 while living in Seattle, he was a founding member and composer for Genius Award nominees, the Master Musicians of Bukkake (MMoB), working alongside Randall Dunn (Candyman & Mandy films). Don also worked with the Doom/Drone pioneers, Earth, as their bassist for 14 years. He also toured as the drummer for Kinski and has played guitar on their recordings. Don was also a member of the underground orchestral pop group, the Stares, as bassist, baritone guitarist, percussionist, and secondary song arranger. Don occasionally sits in with the Yada Yada Blues Band (YYBB), which he formed with Milky Burgess in 2008. The YYBB performs anachronistic interpretations of 60s and 70s Mississippi blues music. He has played alongside and collaborated with Eyvind Kang, Wayne Horvitz, Trey Spruance, Danny Barnes, Aaron Turner and Faith Coloccia (SUMAC and Mammifer), Bobby Previte, Wolves in the Throne Room, Greg Anderson, Stephen O’Malley (SUNNO)))), and many more.

Don has been composing a series of guitar symphonies for as many as 30 guitars since the late 90s. Known as the Sulphuric Symphonette, this 28-piece symphony premiered in Seattle WA and Austin TX in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Don has also released a two-part series of LPs, titled Aichmophobia and Insouciance, showcasing his orchestrated acoustic guitar compositions.

More recently he formed the post-metal, Post-Doom outfit DIRTFACE with fellow members of EARTH, Master Musicians of Bukkake, and the Yada Yada Blues Band. This music encompasses the Heaviness of the Melvins, the beauty and harmonic depth of Meddle era Pink Floyd, and the wall-of-sound massiveness of My Bloody Valentine.