In a small Texas town with a distinguished musical tradition, two roads come together. At the intersection of Mingo and Fishtrap there is a junkyard and a beauty salon, and when singer and guitarist Roger Blevins, Jr. came here looking for a new tire he also found a name for his band.

Mingo Fishtrap originated in the mid 1990's in Denton, Texas, location of the University of North Texas (and one-time home to famed musicians Roy Orbison, Don Henley, and Sly Stone). Some students at the school's prestigious College of Music threw together a jam band in order to compete in a dormitory talent contest, and when they saw the audience response they knew they had stumbled into something great.  This was the catalyst for a more concerted effort, which soon resulted in capacity shows throughout the region and Mingo's first CD, "Succotash."

The band relocated to the live music Mecca of Austin, Texas.  Along the way came some personnel changes, including the addition of seasoned bassist Roger Blevins, Sr., father of Mingo's bandleader. "We've been really lucky.  We found ourselves in a unique position", says the younger Blevins of the opportunity to play music with his father full-time.

With the release of their second CD, "From the Private Bag", Mingo garnered top honors during SXSW at the 2001, 2002 & 2003 Austin Music Awards.  Mingo has placed first in four categories: Best Funk Band, Best Jam Band, Best Horns, and Best Keyboards.  The group has also received more than a dozen other mentions, including Band of the Year, Best Pop Band, and Producer of the Year.

Mingo crafts melodic pop songs reminiscent of Stevie Wonder, Dr. John, and Tower of Power (to name a few), and serves them up in tight, horn-fueled arrangements with a healthy pinch of raw 'Nawlins-style funky stuff.

The group has been invited to share the stage with a diverse group of artists: contemporary pop acts Sting and Annie Lennox; groove based acts such as Ozomatli and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band; and legendary groups Parliament/Funkadelic, Kool and the Gang, and Little Feat.  Mingo continues their musical journey with their third and fourth CDs, "EP2" (released June 2004) and "Yesterday" (released July 2005), and a full-length live concert DVD that was recorded July 29th, 2006 at The Granada Theater in Dallas, TX.

Mingo Fishtrap's hot new DVD, Live at the Granada, is now available here on Strokeland Records! You'll find live versions of many of your favorite Mingo Fishtrap tunes, along with a lot of great surprises.