A top-tier electric and acoustic bassist, John Patitucci has collaborated with some of the biggest names in modern jazz and is a respected composer and band leader in his own right. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 22, 1959, Patitucci studied the bass at San Francisco State University and Long Beach State University. Upon graduation he headed down the coast for Los Angeles and became part of the Southern California jazz scene.
In 1985, Patitucci began a fruitful musical relationship with jazz piano star Chick Corea, who brought Patitucci into both his Akoustic and Elektric bands, and their shared recording career has spanned four decades. Patitucci’s self-titled solo debut arrived in 1987 on GRP Records. Corea often joined Patitucci in the studio and sometimes served as his producer, a role they often shared, most notably on Patitucci’s standout 1992 album Heart of the Bass, which featured his lyrical, adventurous bass playing alongside sweeping strings and Corea’s clever piano work.
Beyond his work with Corea, Patitucci has shared stages and sessions with jazz figures including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Henry Mancini, David Benoit, Al Di Meola, and Lee Ritenour. He also found his way into the pop world, and appears on albums by Roger Waters, Warren Zevon, and Norah Jones. He also found time to serve as an educator, offering instruction at the Berklee College of Music, City College of New York, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.
Patitucci is also the kind of highly-respected player who appears regularly in publications for instrument enthusiasts, and was bestowed a lifetime achievement award from Bass Player magazine in 2019. He has also been nominated for over a dozen Grammys, and won three for Best Jazz Instrumental Album in 1989, 2005, and 2018.
