Editing Michael Manring

{{Short description|American musician (born 1960)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name             = Michael Manring
| image            = Michael MANRING.jpg
| caption          = Michael Manring playing his Bass guitar
| background       = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name       = 
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1960|6|27}}
| birth_place      = [[Annapolis]], Maryland, U.S.
| origin           = Washington, D.C., United States
| genre            = [[Jazz fusion]], [[world music]], [[New-age music|new-age]], [[experimental music|experimental]]
| occupation       = Musician
| instrument       = Bass guitar, keyboards
| years_active     = 1975–present
| label            = [[Windham Hill Records|Windham Hill]], [[High Street Records|High Street]], Alchemy, Manthing
| associated_acts  = 
| website          = {{URL|www.manthing.com}}
}}

'''Michael Manring''' (born June 27, 1960) is an American bass guitarist from the [[San Francisco Bay Area]].

==Biography==
Michael Manring was born in [[Annapolis]], Maryland,<ref name="Bass Heroes">Tom Mulhern, ''Bass Heroes: Styles, Stories & Secrets of 30 Great Bass Players : from the Pages of Guitar Player Magazine'', Backbeat Books, 1993, {{ISBN|0-87930-274-7}}, p.26</ref> as the youngest of four children. His family lived in [[Norfolk, Virginia]] and moved to the suburbs of [[Washington, D.C.]] in 1969.  The Manrings were a very active family musically, providing a very fertile background for Michael's musical development. He and his brother Doug—a guitarist and drummer, later living a long time in Japan—formed a very active rhythm group while in high school, venturing through [[Jazz fusion|jazz rock]] and [[Jazz fusion|fusion]], playing rock classics at beer parties or pop standards in restaurants and at weddings.<ref>[http://www.dougmanring.com/bio.htm ''Doug Manring Bio'' at Doug Manrings website.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010224073525/http://www.dougmanring.com/bio.htm |date=February 24, 2001 }} Accessed on November 22, 2007.</ref>

Manring was a pupil of bassist Peter Princiotto from Spring Hill area, Virginia. He began to study at [[Berklee College of Music]] in [[Boston]], Massachusetts in the late 1970s, but canceled his studies in 1979 because of the heavy workload he already had, touring with several different bands like the prog rock band However.<ref name="AP-Interview">[http://www.innerviews.org/inner/manring.html ''MICHAEL MANRING . Beyond genres and niches'' by Anil Prasad.] Accessed on November 22, 2007.</ref> During his time at Berklee College he used every opportunity to play with very different musicians and bands. In the 1980s he studied and toured with [[Jaco Pastorius]] and began to develop his own style.<ref name="berklee">[http://www.berklee.edu/bt/141/alum_profile.html ''Alum Profile – Michael Manring '79'' at Berklee College.] Accessed on November 24, 2007.</ref>

In addition to a long tenure in the 1980s as house bassist for [[Windham Hill Records]], Manring has recorded with [[Spastic Ink]], [[Alex Skolnick]] (in the bands Skol-Patrol and Attention Deficit, also featuring [[Tim Alexander]] from [[Primus (band)|Primus]]), [[Larry Kassin]], [[Tom Darter]], [[Steve Morse]], [[David Cullen (Musician)|David Cullen]], [[Alex de Grassi]], [[Will Ackerman]] and many other noted musicians. He headlined his own band, [[Montreux (band)|Montreux]], throughout the 1980s. He has been a member of Yo Miles!, [[Henry Kaiser (musician)|Henry Kaiser]] and [[Wadada Leo Smith]]'s [[Miles Davis]] tribute band, since its inception. In 1994 Manring was polled ''Bassist of the Year'' by the readers of ''Bass Player'' magazine.<ref name="guthrie">[http://www.nomadland.com//MM041594.htm ''Michael Manring Interview'' by Matt Guthrie, April 15, 1994.] Accessed on November 21, 2007.</ref> Manring's name is also tied with that of [[fingerstyle]] guitarist [[Michael Hedges]], who was a dear friend and fellow musician. Manring toured extensively with Hedges and played on all Hedges albums except one.<ref name="guthrie" /> Manring is known as a humble and gracious live performer with a gift for improvisation with guest musicians.

Since 2005 Manring is member of the band [[DeMania]] with guitarist [[Alex de Grassi]] and percussionist Christopher Garcia. Manring remains active, touring the world for performances and clinics. He lives in [[Oakland, California]].<ref>[http://www.manthing.com/Manthing/Contact.html ''Michael Manring Contact Info'' at his website.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080111150621/http://www.manthing.com/contact.htm |date=January 11, 2008 }} Accessed on November 22, 2007.</ref> In 2020 he has collaborated with the Art of Peace global project, composed and arranged by Mehran Alirezaei.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.asriran.com/fa/news/747800/%D9%87%D9%85%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D8%A2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%AD|title = همکاری محمود دولت‌آبادی با یک ارکستر برای روایت صلح}}</ref>

==Music and musical influences==
Because of his association with the Windham Hill label Manring often was seen as a [[New Age music]]ian. He doesn't see himself as belonging to a certain style or genre and often jokes about categorizing his music. His album ''Thonk'' he termed for example "... the first new Age–[[death metal]]–[[Fusion (music)|fusion]]–album".<ref name="AP-Interview" />

Manring has a solid musical knowledge and uses the bass as a solo instrument usually in alternate tunings, with additional possibilities and patterns invoked on the fly with lever-activated de-tuners and bridges, somewhat like a [[pedal steel guitar]]. He wants to show that the electric bass can be used in a musically rich and expressive way.<ref name="AP-Interview"/> Manring occasionally plays on two (or even three or four) basses at the same time during live performances. Manring is also a composer of experimental music, mixing technology and fretless bass with the sounds of kitchen implements and cardboard boxes, evidenced on his "Book of Flame" solo album.

He is a technical virtuoso, generally using his bass in very different ways. Mostly he plays a fretless bass, which gives him ample possibilities to change tone and pitch just like on acoustic bass. Manring is rhythmically very versatile and often uses [[polyrhythm]]s.<ref name="AP-Interview"/> He's said to do "... things on the electric bass that haven't been done before, are nearly impossible, and (are) illegal in most states.".<ref>[http://cdbaby.com/cd/manthing CD-Baby review of CD ''Soliloquy''.] Accessed on November 22, 2007.</ref> A unique technique employed by Manring is utilizing Hipshot D tuners to change the tuning of one or more strings over the course of playing a piece.

==Equipment==
Manring plays a custom bass by [[Zon Guitars]], called the Hyperbass, a very flexible instrument, which was developed by Joseph Zon and Manring.<ref>[http://www.zonguitars.com/zonguitars/Hyperbass.html ''Hyperbass'', website of ''Zon Guitars''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041110051622/http://www.zonguitars.com/zonguitars/hyperbass.html |date=November 10, 2004 }} Accessed on November 24, 2007.</ref> Special tuning pegs and a special bridge allow instantaneous tuning change of single strings as well as of all strings simultaneously by the action of several tiny levers, a system like that of the [[TransTrem]] guitar. The development of this special model was caused by Manring's use of open tunings. When Manring began changing tunings during pieces by turning the pegs while playing,<ref name="AP-Interview"/> he soon realized the limitations of this approach. First he tried to overcome these limitations by changing a normal Music Man Sting Ray Bass, but then began to develop the Hyperbass with Zon. The Hyperbass has Bartolini [[Pickup (music technology)|pickups]] for every string and four Fishman [[transducer]]s for the body signals of the instruments.

Apart from the Hyperbass, Manring uses a whole fleet of instruments. A listing at his website gives the following models:<ref>[http://www.manthing.com/tunings.htm Michael Manring's tunings] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119170221/http://www.manthing.com/tunings.htm |date=January 19, 2008 }}. Accessed on November 22, 2007.</ref>

* Zon Legacy Elite Special fretless, aka "Bub"
* Homemade Jazz Bass–style fretless
* Zon Michael Manring Hyperbass
* Zon Custom Fretless, aka "Junior" or "Son of Bub"
* Larrivee 5-string fretless acoustic bass guitar
* MusicMan Stingray fretless
* Paroutaud Music Laboratories 5-string fretless ''Infinite Sustain'' prototype
* PRS fretless
* Riverhead Unicorn fretless
* Riverhead Unicorn fretted bass
* Zon prototype headless fretted bass, aka "Vinny"
* Zon Legacy Elite 6-string fretless
* Zon prototype Legacy 10-string bass (5 x 2).

Manring uses [[Markbass]] amplifiers and EBow/PlusBow.

==Discography==
===As leader===
* 1986 ''Unusual Weather'' ([[Windham Hill Records|Windham Hill]])
* 1989 ''Toward the Center of the Night'' (Windham Hill)
* 1991 ''Drastic Measures'' (Windham Hill)
* 1994 ''Thonk'' ([[High Street Records|High Street]])
* 1995 ''Up Close 21'' (Windham Hill/High Street/Boston Acoustic)
* 1998 ''The Book of Flame'' (Alchemy)
* 2005 ''Soliloquy'' (Manthing)
* 2020 ''Small Moments'' (Manthing)

===As guest===
'''With Michael Hedges'''
* 1981 ''[[Breakfast in the Field]]'' (Windham Hill)
* 1984 ''[[Aerial Boundaries]]'' (Windham Hill)
* 1986 ''[[Watching My Life Go By]]'' (Open Air)
* 1987 ''[[Live on the Double Planet]]'' (Windham Hill)
* 1990 ''[[Taproot (Michael Hedges album)|Taproot]]'' (Windham Hill)
* 1996 ''[[Oracle (Michael Hedges album)|Oracle]]'' (Windham Hill)
* 1999 ''[[Torched (Michael Hedges album)|Torched]]'' (Windham Hill)
* 2001 ''Beyond Boundaries – Guitar Solos'' (Windham Hill)

'''With [[Montreux (band)|Montreux]]''' (On ''Chiaroscuro'' as 'Mike Marshall & Darol Anger')
* 1985 ''Chiaroscuro'' (Windham Hill)
* 1987 ''Sign Language'' (Windham Hill)
* 1989 ''Let Them Say'' (Windham Hill)

'''With [[John Gorka]]'''
* 1991 ''Jack's Crows'' (High Street)
* 1992 ''Temporary Road'' (High Street)
* 1994 ''Out of the Valley'' (High Street)
* 1996 ''Between Five and Seven'' (High Street)
* 1998 ''After Yesterday'' (Red House)
* 2001 ''Company You Keep'' (Red House)
* 2006 ''Writing in the Margins'' (Red House)

'''With others'''
* 2005 [[At War With Self]], ''[[Torn Between Dimensions]]'' (Free Electric Sound)
* 2013 [[Gianfranco Continenza]], ''Dusting the Time'' (Videoradio)
* 2019 Gianfranco Continenza, ''Vertical Horizons'' (Never Sleeping)
* 2001 [[David Cullen (musician)|David Cullen]]. ''Equilibré'' (Solid Air)
* 2016 [[Calum Graham]], ''Farewell'' (Studio AD/TL Studios)
* 2013 [[Kevin Kastning]], ''In Winter'' (Greydisc)
* 2008 [[Justin King (guitarist)|Justin King]], ''I-XII''
* 2011 [[Lukas Ligeti]], ''Pattern Time'' ([[Innova Records|Innova]])
* 2006 [[Jonni Lightfoot]], ''BLU'' (DreamAttik Productions)
* 2008 [[Jeff Loomis]], ''Zero Order Phase'' (Century Media)
* 1999 [[Jim Matheos]], ''Away with Words''
* 1997 [[Alex Skolnick]], ''The Skol-Patrol'' (Pluto-Bound)
* 1998, 2001 [[Alex Skolnick]], [[Tim Alexander]], ''Attention Deficit'' (Magna Carta Records)
* 2008 [[Terror Syndrome]], ''[[Terror Syndrome (album)|Terror Syndrome]]''
* 1995 [[Turtle Island Quartet]], ''By the Fireside'' (Windham Hill)

'''Other labels'''
* 1994 ''We Sing to Open Ears'' (High Street)
* 1996 ''Different Mozart'' (Philips)
* 1997 ''Heritage'' (Polygram )
* 1997 ''A Very Green Christmas'' (Seventh Wave)
* 1999 ''Moonlight Moments'' (Columbia River)
* 1999 ''Soundscape – New Age Reflections'' (Delta/BMG)
* 1999 ''Bass Talk, Vol. 6'' (Hot Wire)
* 1999 ''Bass Day '98'' (Hudson Music)
* 2000 ''Dreamscape'' (Delta)
* 2003 ''Guitar Harvest I'' (Solid Air)
* 2004 ''Healing Garden – The Art of Relaxation'' (Madacy)
* 2005 ''Brazil Duets'' (Adventure Music)
* 2006 ''Woodsongs: An Acoustic Guitar Collection'' (New Land Music)
* 2010 ''The Quantum Activist Soundtrack'' (Bluedot Productions)

===Video===
* 1996 ''Bass Essentials'' (Hot Licks)
* 1998 ''The Artist’s Profile: Michael Manring'' (Ecliptic productions)
* 1998 ''Bass Day '98'' (Hudson Music)
* 2000 ''Michael Manring: Instructional Bass'' (Video, Hal Leonard)
* 2008 ''Michael Manring: Resonances'' (DVD, Resonance Prod LLC/Michael Manring)
* 2009 ''The Quantum Activist'' Documentary Soundtrack (Bluedot Productions)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|1=http://www.manthing.com}}
* [http://www.talkbass.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=42 Ask Steve Lawson and Michael Manring] forum at TalkBass.com
* [http://www.solobassnight.com/ Solo Bass Night] A recurring Bay Area, California solo bass show featuring Michael Manring
* [http://www.peterprinciotto.com/ Official Peter Princiotto website]
* [http://www.liraproductions.com/dmg/index.htm – the official DEMANIA site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110509051356/http://www.bass-musician-magazine.com/General/bass-musician-magazine-detail.asp?year=2009&month=8&article-id=717801051 Bassist Michael Manring, an Interview With Editor Jake Kot]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110509051321/http://www.bass-musician-magazine.com/General/bass-musician-magazine-detail.asp?year=2009&month=8&article-id=517801237 Michael Manring: A Review of the May 2009 Portland OR Concert, 8/01/2009]

{{At War with Self}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manring, Michael}}
[[Category:American new-age musicians]]
[[Category:Chamber jazz bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Berklee College of Music alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Windham Hill Records artists]]
[[Category:People from Annapolis, Maryland]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:Musicians from Norfolk, Virginia]]
[[Category:20th-century American bass guitarists]]
[[Category:Guitarists from California]]
[[Category:Montreux (band) members]]
[[Category:At War with Self members]]