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He has played at some of the best London Jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott's, Jazz Café, Pizza Express, 606 Club and Vortex, as well as the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Brixton Academy and Ocean. His playing has featured on BBC Radio 3 and Jazz FM. He has performed at numerous national and international music festivals: Edinburgh Festival, Brecon Jazz, Womad, Ascott and Bath Guitar festival, and music festivals in France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Barbados, Ireland and Canada.
Mantovani's musical career started at the age of four with the piano. He quickly progressed on to the guitar, and from there became strongly drawn to the bass which he took up seriously in 1982. Since then he hasn’t looked back, achieving the mastery of a wide variety of styles with both the electric and the double bass.
While still in Italy, he wrote music for several bands, as well as dance choreographers, and in less than a year after his arrival, one of his tracks was featured on the compilation New Directions issued by The Wire magazine.
By 1999 the long-standing desire to put together a band specifically to record and perform his own multiform compositions materialised in the form of The Davide Mantovani Quintet. Featuring some of the best musicians on the London Jazz and Latin scene, his debut album Square One was released in May 2001 on the Stay Tuned Records label.
His competent skills as Musical Director are also often required by the artists he works with. Additionally he received a BTEC diploma in composing & synchronizing music for film and video in 2002 and has since been writing soundtracks for several films and theatre pieces. One of those works led to the realization of the album DRAWING HORIZONS.
Soon after that followed a trip to Senegal, in the heart of Casamance, where he received the most intense education on griot music and Mbalah rhythms (as well as the most felt hospitality).
As a consequence, he now plays double bass regularly in Seckou's Quartet, and his composing approach has been influenced by West African elements.
Early in 2006 the whole band has spent two weeks in Senegal, playing Seckou's music at the source, and meeting many local musicians, thus creating a fantastic network of possibilities. In July the Quartet has been touring Canada, including the Montreal Jazz Festival. From December 26th to January 9th 2007 the Quartet was back to Senegal, playing opposite (and jamming with) Cheikh Lo and Orquestre Baobab...and, yes, having also a little rest in the sun. Next on schedule, in fact happening right now, is the FEB 2006 RURAL TOUR (check on the "dates" page for more details).
Polaris's manifesto is to create layer upon layer of atmospherically rich and sophisticated soundscapes entirely live. This led to the recording of the first album (with Roberto), which has been played on BBC Radio 3 LATE JUNCTION. A second album, with Ross, is now under construction...
site designed and produced by Roberto Battista, © 2005 Davide Mantovani