Doug Rauch

Doug Rauch
Doug Rauch in the 1970s
Background information
Birth name	Douglass Haywood Rauch
Born	(1950-09-14)September 14, 1950 New York City
Died	April 23, 1979(1979-04-23) (aged 28) San Francisco, California
Genres	Jazz, jazz fusion
Occupation(s)	bassist
Instruments	Bass guitar
Years active	1969–1976
Associated acts	Carlos Santana

Douglass Haywood Rauch (14 September 1950 – 23 April 1979) was an American bassist most famous for his work with Carlos Santana during his jazz fusion period in the early 1970s.

Doug Rauch was born in New York, and attended Elisabeth Irwin High School, graduating in 1968. He was the son of notable opera singer Nadine Brewer of the Metropolitan Opera. Prior to joining Santana in the 1960s, he worked with several New York-based acts including Buzzy Linhart, Voices of East Harlem, and Bunky and Jake. He arranged to record as a guest on Bunky and Jake's 1969 record; L.A.M.F. The collaboration with Buzzy Linhart also resulted in an album: Music in 1971, opening the door for him to meet and record a track on Carly Simon's debut album the same year; Carly Simon.

Accepting an invitation from Santana drummer Michael Shrieve, Rauch moved to San Francisco in 1971 where he worked with the band Loading Zone which also featured future Santana bandmate Tom Coster. Rauch and Coster also worked briefly with guitarist Gábor Szabó during this period.

Rauch teamed up with Santana in 1972 replacing Tom Rutley. He made his first appearance with the band in early 1972. Rauch shared a mutual admiration for the music of The Mahavishnu Orchestra with his new bandleader, and was an important element in shaping the more jazz/rock/fusion oriented sound of the new Santana band. He appears on the albums Caravanserai, Welcome, Love Devotion Surrender and Lotus. During the Santana years Rauch also played with the third edition of Tony Williams Lifetime (which also featured Japanese guitarist Ryo Kawasaki), David Bowie, Lenny White, Billy Cobham, the George Duke Band, and Jan Hammer.