John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer.
Biography
John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing the electric bass at age 10, performing and composing at age 12, and at age 15, started playing the acoustic bass, as well as piano by age 16. He listened to bass parts in R&B songs on the radio and on his grandfather's jazz records. He cites as influences Oscar Peterson's albums with Ray Brown and Wes Montgomery's with Ron Carter. For the development of rhythm, he points to the time he has spent with Danilo Pérez, a pianist from Panama.
In the late 1970s he studied acoustic bass at San Francisco State University and Long Beach State University. He began his professional career when he moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and made connections with Henry Mancini, Dave Grusin, and Tom Scott. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s he was a member of three Chick Corea groups: the Elektric Band, the Akoustic Band, and the quartet. As a leader he formed a trio with Joey Calderazzo and Peter Erskine, and a quartet with Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Tavaglione, and John Beasley. He has played with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Roy Haynes. Patitucci switches between double bass and electric bass.
He was the artistic director of the Bass Collective, a school for bassists in New York City and is involved with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz and the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. He was Professor of Jazz Studies at City College of New York. In June 2012 he started the Online Jazz Bass School. He was appointed artist in residence at Berklee College of Music.
Back in Brooklyn
Back in Brooklyn is a documentary about Patitucci released by August Sky Films in 2015. Directed by Patrick Cone, the film includes footage from rehearsals, studio sessions, live performances, and interviews with Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. The documentary was filmed during or around the time Patitucci's album Brooklyn was recorded.
Awards and honors
Most Valuable Player, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1986
Best Jazz Bassist, Guitar Player magazine Readers' Poll, 1992, 1994, 1995
Best Jazz Bassist, Bass Player magazine Readers' Poll, 1993–1996
Grammy Award nomination, Beyond the Sound Barrier as member of the Wayne Shorter Quartet, Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group, 2005
Lifetime Achievement award, Bass Player magazine, 2019
Grammy Award nomination for his album Spirit Fall in the Best Jazz Instrumental Album category.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
John Patitucci (GRP, 1987)
On the Corner (GRP, 1989)
Sketchbook (GRP, 1990)
Heart of the Bass (Stretch, 1992)
Another World (GRP, 1993)
Mistura Fina (GRP, 1995)
One More Angel (Concord, 1997)
Now (Concord, 1998)
Imprint (Concord, 2000)
Communion (Concord, 2001)
Songs, Stories & Spirituals (Concord, 2003)
Line by Line (Concord, 2006)
Remembrance (Concord, 2009)
Brooklyn (Three Faces, 2015)
Soul of the Bass (Three Faces, 2019)
Spirit Fall (Edition, 2025)
Collaborations
All Strings Attached with Tal Farlow, John Abercrombie, Larry Carlton, Larry Coryell, John Scofield (Verve, 1987)
Continental Talk with Randy Brecker, Steve Gadd, Stanislav Mitrovic, Ratko Zjaca (In+Out, 2009)
Viva Hermeto! with André Marques, Brian Blade (Borandá, 2014)
Children of the Light with Danilo Pérez, Brian Blade (Mack Avenue, 2015)
TRIO with Vinnie Colaiuta, Bill Cunliffe (Le Coq, 2021)
As a member
Tamarack
Tamarack (Parbar Music, 1981)
The Hudson Project
With Peter Erskine, John Abercrombie and Bob Mintzer
The Hudson Project (Stretch, 2000) – live recorded in 1998
The Great Jazz Trio
Led by Hank Jones with drummers
'S Wonderful with Jack DeJohnette (Eighty-eight's, 2004)
Speak Low with Jack DeJohnette (Eighty-Eight's, 2005)
Stella by Starlight with Omar Hakim and guest Sadao Watanabe (Eighty-Eight's, 2006)
July 5 th - Live at Birdland NY with Omar Hakim (Eighty-Eight's, 2007)
July 6 th - Live at Birdland NY with Omar Hakim (Eighty-Eight's, 2007)