Jane Mangini has collaborated with bandmates from Trans-Siberian Orchestra, including drummer Jeff Plate on the second album by Alta Reign, UPON THE HORIZON from Rat Pak Records released November 24, 2023, and including a tribute to TSO founder Paul O’Neill.
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Jane Mangini and Rick Berlin met in 1982 and have been collaborating ever since. Their latest project, released in April 2021, is called The Cha Cha Club.
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In 2020, Jane collaborated with Trans-Siberian Orchestra/Savatage & former Metal Church drummer Jeff Plate on his new project ALTA REIGN, along with Tommy Cook (guitars/lead vocals), Collin Holloway (guitars/lead vocals), Kevin McCarthy (bass, vocals) and Zach Hamilton (keyboards, guitars/vocals). Alta Reign’s debut album “Mother’s Day” was released on January 8, 2021 via Rat Pak Records.
When interviewed about the project, Jane said “I’ve known Jeff for 20 years through the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I had the honor of playing with him on ‘Beethoven’s Last Night’ Tour in 2010. The most fun I had on that tour was soundcheck, actually his soundcheck. He would play the coolest riffs and I probably annoyed him playing along, but I always thought how great it would be to put something together with him. Ten years later I got a call and I’m pretty sure I said yes before he even finished asking me. I’m so very happy that I fit in.”
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In April 2020, Jane created a mostly-instrumental cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Jungleland” as a tribute to the healthcare workers and first responders who became heroes during the COVID-19 crisis. While the piece is her production and arrangement, she also recruited fellow TSO bandmates Angus Clark (DareDevil Squadron) on guitars and Dino Jelusick (Dirty Shirley / Animal Drive) on those soaring wordless vocals near the end. Rick Berlin created the moving video filled with inspiring images. The project was Jane’s way of saying thank you to all first responders, nurses, doctors and citizens who put themselves at risk 24/7 on the front lines of the pandemic.
“Rick Berlin and I put this together along with friends Angus Clark, Dino Jelusick, Brendan Cooney, Bob Carey, Brian Charles, Joseph Arnold and Eric Coyne as a thank you to all who are putting their lives at risk for us every day. I am especially proud of my husband Travis Cown. ‘Jungleland’ is one of my all-time favorite songs and always seems to pop up in the most significant of times.”
Jane Mangini – Arranger / Piano / Keys
Angus Clark – Guitars
Dino Jelusic – Wordless vocals near the end
Brendan Cooney – String Arranger
Eric Coyne & Joseph Arnold – Strings
Brian Charles – Mastering
Jane’s Deep History
In the 1980s, Jane attended Berklee College of Music and played keyboards in the Boston music scene with local bands. There she met Rick Berlin, and they began their decades-long collaboration recording and performing his music in venues across New England. After earning her props as a virtuoso, she migrated to Bang Music in New York City, where she had a very long and successful run writing/performing award-winning commercial soundtracks and jingles. But she always came back to the stage where she’s known for her singular style and brilliance.
In the 1990s, as a member of the Einstein trio with Boston drummer Jonathan Mover and guitar player Stan Jankowski, Jane played keyboards and covered the bass parts on Einstein Won (1995) and Einstein Too (2001). Jonathan crowned her “the goddess of polyrhythmic playing.”
“Eps 68: Piano Spotlight: Jane Mangini”
On Blog Talk Radio, a 31 minute talk show recorded in 2012 by Aaron Joy on Jane Mangini’s career, including selected jingles produced at Bang Music and a track from Einstein Too.
In 2002, Jane joined Trans-Siberian Orchestra as a featured band member on stage, as well as on their albums The Lost Christmas Eve (2004) and Night Castle (2009), which includes two tracks she co-wrote, “Tracers” and the CD bonus track “Flight of Cassandra.”
2003 was a busy year for Jane. She played keyboards on Oculus Infernum — a Halloween Tale (2003) by Van Helsing’s Curse, a side project of Twisted Sister lead singer, Dee Snider, and she performed on Joe Lynn Turner‘s eighth solo album, JLT (2003). Also that year she collaborated with TSO guitarist, Al Pitrelli, to start a new band called O’2L (pronounced O’Toole), which put out its first album that year featuring 13 songs written and arranged by Jane.
Artists of Horror: Van Helsing’s Curse
by Kyle Smitchens, October 7, 2012, Guitar Muse “Legend has it that vocalist Dee Snider had been at a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert and he pieced together the idea of applying an orchestra to a metal band with reworked Halloween music to much a similar effect. It’s a pretty cut and dry story beyond that, though the gap between Van Helsing’s Curse and Trans-Siberian Orchestra was narrowed substantially when Snider got guitarist Al Pitrelli and pianist Jane Mangini to join the band, both of which are also in Trans-Siberian Orchestra.”
“Eps 69: Jane Mangini & Al Pitrelli’s O’2L”
On Podbay.fm, a 38 minute talk show recorded in 2012 by Aaron Joy on Jane Mangini’s band O’2L, including performances by several members of TSO.
In 2005, O’2L released the acclaimed Doyle’s Brunch album, written, performed, produced and mixed by Jane, and in 2007 they recorded their final album, Eat a Pickle, an homage to the third album by the Allman Brothers Band, Eat a Peach (1972).
O’2L: Doyle’s Brunch
By Jim Santella, April 7, 2005, All About Jazz
O2’L’s program of backbeats and hip-hop effects creates an instant impression of energy. It’s not the usual fare, however. They fill the air with impressions of the world around us and deliver the program with tongue in cheek. Musically warm and emotionally light, Doyle’s Brunch brings a lot of fun to the forum.
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Flash forward to 2015. Jane’s next performance collaboration was Guter Hund, including 11 tracks written, arranged, and produced by Jane, and featuring special guests Angus Clark, Jon Bivona, Jesse Adam-Lukowsky, Kiku Collins, Dave Loughlin, Travis Cown, The Cropdusters (Cindy Loughlin, Tricia Moran, Kathy Morrow McMillan, Patty Morrow Coen, Karen Murray Dumond), Rick Berlin and the Nickel and Dime Band, and Pete Weiss.
The following year, 2016, she wrote and produced another Guter Hund album, this one titled Irische Frau, a playful collaboration with friends, featuring extraordinary performances and Jane’s fierce fingers.