Manteca is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 jazz fusion

Jazz fusion

Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...

 band that toured during the 1980s and 1990s. It was formed by percussionist Matt Zimbel and bassist Henry Heillig in 1979.

Their repertoire consisted of pieces composed by keyboardist Aaron Davis and Rick Tait. In addition to having horn sections and Latin and African percussion, they included synthesisers, creating music in a "pan-fusion" style, essentially jazz improvisation drawing from salsa, samba, funk and tribal influences.

The band began playing in Toronto in 1979, and by 1987 were touring annually in Canada. Their US debut was at the Concord Jazz Festival

Concord Jazz Festival

The Concord Jazz Festival is an annual event that was established in 1969 in Concord, California.The festival was launched by Carl Jefferson, a car dealer and jazz enthusiast, who managed to get a group of friends to support the concept. The city agreed to pay for half the cost...

 in 1989, and they played at the North Sea, Pori

Pori Jazz

Pori Jazz is a large international jazz festival, held annually in the coastal city of Pori , Finland. It is one of the oldest and best known jazz festivals in Europe, having been arranged every year since 1966...

 and Stockholm

Stockholm Jazz Festival

Stockholm Jazz Festival, established in 1980, is an annual jazz festival in Stockholm, Sweden. It is a major summer event of Stockholm and it is spread over several venues across the city.-Overview:...

 jazz festivals in 1990.

They received a Juno award

Juno Award

The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...

 in 1989 for Instrumental Artist of the Year.

After a hiatus, Manteca released a new album, Onward in 2007, and resumed touring. Onward included some different instruments, such as EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) and pennywhistle. Guest composers for this album are Gord Sheard and Doug Wilde.

Other members of the band have included keyboardist Aaron Davis, saxophonist John Johnson, Gordon Sheard, Wayne Baker, Herb Koffman, Rick Tait, Steve McDade, Kirk MacDonald, Ralph Bowen

Ralph Bowen

Ralph Bowen is a jazz saxophonist who began his career with the Blue Note Records group Out of the Blue before releasing several albums for the Dutch label Criss Cross Jazz....

, Gary Bogon, Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer (musician)

Phil Dwyer is a jazz saxophonist, pianist, composer, producer and teacher who, after 15 years in Toronto, now resides on Vancouver Island. Dwyer has been nominated for Juno Awards 4 times and won Best Mainstream Jazz Album in 1994....

, Earl Leader, Norman Jones, Art Avalos, Mike Sloski, David James and Charlie Cooley.

Discography

• 1980 - Manteca
• 1984 - Strength in Numbers
• 1986 - No Heroes
• 1987 - Fire Me Up
• 1989 - Perfect Foot
• 1990 - Extra, Extra
• 1992 - Later is Now!
• 1996 - No Net
• 2007 - Onward
• 2008 - Fun Fun - A Night in Montreal