BASSIST

Doug, a seasoned professional from Los Altos, Ca., began his distinguished career playing Bay Area clubs from San Francisco to Monterey. He was eventually tapped by an L.A. producer and immediately relocated to Malibu, Ca. where he performed and also recorded at THE "ShangriLa Ranch" Recording Studio.

Doug then went on to perform with a variety of bands on the Sunset Strip and surrounding areas until finally landing the gig with "UXB", with whom he played such L.A. circuit venues as The Starwood, The Roxy, The Troubadour and Whiskey A Go Go. Some of Doug's former bands included members from The Allman Brothers Band (Jaimoe), The Steve Miller Band (Gary Mallaber), Edgar Winter/Ronnie Montrose (Chuck Ruff) and The Pearl Alley Band/Pleasure Kings (Dennis Dove). Doug also includes his brother Dean Mancini, one of Central Oregon's premier drummers, to this prestigious list.

After UXB reluctantly decided to "call it a day", Doug moved back up to the Bay Area and settled in Berkeley, Ca., where he joined the rock/world-beat band "Unsung Heroes". U.H. played a variety of San Francisco and Berkeley clubs as well as recorded at Garth Webber's "Red Rooster Studio" and "Fantasy Studios". Doug finally gave in to his longing for the coast and moved to one of his all-time favorite towns, Santa Cruz, Ca., where these days he can be heard with Blues Cadillac, The Pearl Alley Band, Dennis Dove/Oliver Harris, The Michael Cosyn Group and "The Sliders". Doug's reputation as a thoroughly "seasoned professional" has kept him one of the Central Coast's/Bay Area's busier bassists. "Always expect the unexpected, be ON time, IN time."

Doug has played in just about every musical genre, but has always been driven by the Blues. Early on, while still in his pre-teens, Doug got hooked on British Blues, which included such artists as Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Rory Gallagher, The Yardbirds, Alexis Korner and John Mayall's Blues Breakers. Doug was immediately blown away by the "jaw-dropping" bass playing of John Paul Jones and Bob Daisley, not to mention the utterly tasteful, Andy Fraser of "Free". It wasn't long before Doug wanted to know who THEIR influences were, so he began listening to Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and John Lee Hooker, the list goes on. Of course Motown, namely James Jamerson, had an enormous impact on Doug and there isn't a bassist alive who hasn't been influenced by the genius of "Jaco" in one way or another. Today, Doug lists the incredible Willie Weeks, Lee Sklar, Pino Palladino, Darryl Jones and his friend, Polo Jones as major inspirations.

In April, 2003, Doug was recruited by James Armstrong for a two week stint through five mid-western states, playing at top venues in 10 cities. The tour received warm reviews from critics in Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and other cities. Two of those gigs were especially memorable for Doug; "Buddy Guy's Legends", where "the man" himself joined the enthusiastic audience for an evening of Blues, and The Marshall Civic Auditorium, where the band played two sold-out shows. Doug is a superb bassist with serious groove. That, along with his creative influences and technique would be an essential fabric to any noteworthy band he chose to be a part of.

In July of 2004, while visiting his brother in Oregon, Doug met Lee Barker of Barker Musical Instruments, Redmond, OR. and got a "hands-on" introduction to the "Barker Vertical Bass". The two of them spoke for hours on that first day, just talking and exchanging ideas, a day Doug will always remember. "Lee is an incredible human being, a man of true vision, I'm honored to call him my friend." Doug's relationship with Lee and the entire "Barker Family" has remained rock-solid ever since, Doug has also done numerous NAMM shows demonstrating the Barker Bass. Read more about this amazing instrument at www.barkerbass.com.

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