Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (keyboardist extraordinaire) is a founding member of bands such as Beatnik Beatch, Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, The Moog Cookbook, and TV Eyes. He has also spent several years as an integral member of Beck’s backing band, and made contributions to several recordings by the band Air. He is known for his distinctive style playing various analog and digital synthesizers. Electronica, power pop, psychedelia and jazz are his primary genres although he also does session work with a number of artists as well as commercial and soundtrack music. As well as providing session work, he works frequently with producer Jerry Finn, through whom he is credited as keyboardist on a number of recordings with pop-punk band blink-182.
Manning has submitted keyboard work to artists such as Jet, Ringo Starr, Green Day, Blink 182, Angels & Airwaves, Diana Ross, Jamiroquai, Johnny Cash, Lisa Marie Presley, Morrissey, OPM and Sheryl Crow.
In early 2006, Manning released his long-awaited first solo album in Japan only. That album, Solid State Warrior, was eventually issued in the U.S. under a different title Land Of Pure Imagination, and with an altered song content.
Roger lists his influences as keyboard-centric artists Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Jean-Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Frank Zappa, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brian Eno and Roxy Music, Steely Dan, Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as punk rock and New Wave bands like Gang of Four, Thomas Dolby, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Buzzcocks, Dead Kennedys, Talk Talk, The Damned, XTC, Tears for Fears, Suicidal Tendencies, Madness and Wall of Voodoo. |
