John Patitucci

John Patitucci is a Grammy winning jazz double bass and electric bass player of Italian descent and born in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing the electric bass at age ten, composing and performing at age 12, as well as the acoustic bass at 15, and the piano one year later. After moving west, he studied classical bass at San Francisco State University and Long Beach State University.

Patitucci has released twelve albums as a leader. In addition to his solo work, Patitucci has played on albums by B.B. King, Chick Corea, Joanne Brackeen, Harvest (a little-known Christian music group popular in the 1970s and 1980s), Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, John Abercrombie, George Benson, Dizzy Gillespie, Was Not Was, Roby Duke, Dave Grusin, Natalie Cole, Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah, Sting, and Carly Simon.

As a performer, he has played with his own band, and with Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Freddie Hubbard, and Tony Williams. He was selected to be the bassist for the GRP All-Star Big Band. Some of the many pop and Brazilian artists he has played with include Sting, Natalie Cole, Carole King, Astrud and Joao Gilberto, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. Patitucci has worked with film composers such as Jerry Goldsmith, Ry Cooder, Henry Mancini, and John Williams.

Patitucci has led several projects of his own, in addition to playing with Chick Corea’s Elektric Band and Akoustic Band and on projects with Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, Danilo Pérez, and Roger Waters, among others. He now is active in Wayne Shorter’s popular quartet. The group won the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Jazz Album for the album Beyond the Sound Barrier in 2006.