On September 23, 2016 the Juno Award winners delivered their 12th CD, The Twelfth of Never. Distributed by Pheromone Distribution, the disc features eight original compositions; seven by Doug Wilde and Matt Zimbel and one by Jason Logue. The Twelfth of Never was recorded at Revolution Recording in Toronto over four days in February with acclaimed engineer Jeff Wolpert.
With longevity comes a certain, “I yam what I yam,” creative defiance, an aural refusal to conform. When music critic Peter Goddard of TheToronto Star wrote about the group’s 11th recording, he called the work “gut grabbing innovation.” Oh yeah, we’ll take that!
Laurie Brown, host of the CBC Radio show The Signal attended a pre-release listening session, for the Twelfth of Never and had this to say; “There’s a seismic emotional shift in the music. Cinematic, introspective, the atmosphere is moody and
mysterious…the playing is exceptional and the sound is remarkable.”
Manteca has been a pan cultural mash up since it started in Toronto in 1979. Drawing on musical influences throughout the Americas, this nine member artists’ collective, founded by percussionist Matt Zimbel and former bassist Henry Heillig, has been an international innovator at creating original music composed and arranged using the roots of world, jazz, and orchestral music.
In the group’s 38 year history they have been one of Canada’s leading musical ambassadors, touring the world’s most prestigious festivals from the Hollywood Bowl to the North Sea Jazz Festival and sharing stages with Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Yellow Jackets, Weather Report and Van Morrison in an explosive high energy show full of joy and exhilarating musicianship.
Melodic, powerful and fresh with lead lines often helmed by instruments considered off the beaten path of jazz such as bass clarinet and alto flute, the tracks are under pinned by skin on skin grooves of hand percussion and grounded by drum kit, acoustic piano, bass and guitar.
The band’s extensive archives have been collected by the National Library of Canada and their recordings have been released around the world, with numerous releases in the Unites States, Germany, South Africa and Asia.
The Twelfth of Never is by turns tender and cutting, both in your face and in your arms.
September 23, 2016…nope, not done yet.
For Interviews in French, English or Spanish, please contact Josée Duranleau Communications: josee@duranleau.com
MANTECA IS: COLLEEN ALLEN, ART AVALOS, CHARLIE COOLEY, MARK FERGUSON, JASON LOGUE, NICK TAITESHI, WILL JARVIS, DOUG WILDE, MATT ZIMBEL
MANTECA-MUSIC.COM