Roger Manning

Although Roger Manning was trained in classical music and jazz, his current reputation as a crazy keyboardist and cutting-edge remixer belies a marked evolution in his mindset and technique. Although a he is a capable drummer and clarinet player, keyboards are his passion. His penchant for using synths to transcend genres and break new musical ground has put him in high demand with such artists as Beck, Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Blink 182, Air, Green Day and Jamiroquai.

Manning’s own bands – Jellyfish, Imperial Drag and the Moog Cookbook – drew cult followings that endure to this day. The Moog Cookbook was co-founded by Manning and Brian Kehew, who set out to infuse the grunge-dominated music culture of late-‘80s and early-‘90s with the synth sounds popularized in the ‘70s. Although the band started as something of an inside joke among friends, it gave Manning the recognition he needed to launch a new phase in his career. After hearing the Moog albums, Beck asked Manning to tour with him, and later recorded both “Mutations” and “Midnite Vultures” with him.