Pino Presti

Pino Presti

Presti 1973
Background information
Birth name Giuseppe Prestipino Giarritta
Origin Milan, Italy
Genres Pop, jazz, funk, Latin music, dance
Occupation(s) Bassist, arranger, composer, conductor, record producer
Instruments Bass guitar, Fender Rhodes
Years active 1961–present
Labels Atlantic, Durium, Saar, Polydor, Baby Records, Emergency, Belldisc, Edizioni Curci, Dischi Ricordi
Associated acts Mina, Gerry Mulligan, Astor Piazzolla, Franco Cerri, Wilson Pickett, Aldemaro Romero, Tullio De Piscopo
Website www.pinopresti.eu

Pino Presti (pseudonym of Giuseppe Prestipino Giarritta, is an Italian bassist, arranger, composer, conductor, and record producer, born in Milan, August 23, 1943. He is a 5th-dan black belt in Shotokan Karate.[1]

Presti was very young when he first entered the music business. He started as a bass guitar player, than gradually began as an arranger, composer, orchestra conductor, and producer. Among his collaborations in different genres of music like jazz, pop, funk, soul, and Latin music are Mina (the most famous Italian pop singer),[2] Gerry Mulligan, Astor Piazzolla, Quincy Jones, Wilson Pickett, Shirley Bassey, Franco Cerri, Maynard Ferguson, Stéphane Grappelli, Aldemaro Romero, and Tullio De Piscopo. He is considered one of the most important Italian arrangers/conductors.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Early life

Son of an accomplished violinist, Arturo Prestipino Giarritta,[9] has been studying piano and music theory since the age of 6. When he was 17, he started his career performing as vocalist and bass guitarist in clubs as well as working in recording studios as an instrumentalist. Although he had a contract with Durium of Milano as a singer, he decided to concentrate only on performing music. He recorded hundreds of songs with major Italian artists such as: Mina, Giorgio Gaber, Ornella Vanoni, Gino Paoli, Bruno Lauzi, Fabrizio De André, Sergio Endrigo, Mia Martini, Franco Battiato, Adriano Celentano, Milva, Pino Donaggio, Gigliola Cinquetti, Caterina Caselli, Bobby Solo, Fausto Leali, Michele, Ivan Graziani, Loredana Berté and many others.

Musical career

Mina. From 1971 up until her last public appearances in 1978, Presti arranged and conducted 86 of her tracks.

After backing Mina as a bass guitarist in studio and on tour for many years, Pino Presti arranged and conducted many of her songs. He also backed her as a singer, as in "Flamingo" and other tracks. From 1971 up until her last public appearances at Bussoladomani in 1978, Presti arranged and conducted 86 of Mina's tracks, including the hits "Grande grande grande", "E penso a te", "L'importante è finire", "E poi", "Città vuota", "La pioggia di marzo", "Fiume azzurro", "Domenica sera" and others, and albums such as Mina, Cinquemilaquarantatre, Frutta e verdura, Amanti di valore, Baby Gate, La Mina, Singolare, Mina con bignè, Mina Live '78.

Presti composed four songs for Mina: "Tentiamo ancora", for the album Frutta e verdura (1973), "L'amore è un'altra cosa", for Mina® (1974), "Amante amore", for Mina con bignè (1977), and "Bignè", for Ridi pagliaccio (1988).

On Mina’s come back at the Bussoladomani theatre in Viareggio on 24 June 1978, Nantas Salvataggio wrote an enthusiastic review of the event in the Il Giorno newspaper: « Mina was accompanied by an orchestra as that of a grand Las Vegas show.[10]

The Italian press, as well as others, described the concert as a «triumph» and underlined the contribution of the backing orchestra (14 members and the chorus), directed by Presti.[11][12][13]

Between the 1970s and 1980s, he collaborated on recordings and or concerts with prominent personalities of the international music scene such as: Wilson Pickett, Shirley Bassey, Quincy Jones, Gerry Mulligan, Astor Piazzolla, Maynard Ferguson, Severino Gazzelloni, Franco Cerri, Shirley Bunnie Foy, Stéphane Grappelli, Aldemaro Romero, Tullio De Piscopo, Gianni Bedori, Eartha Kitt, Lara Saint Paul, Bruno De Filippi, George Aghedo, Enrico Intra, Ellade Bandini, Angel Pocho Gatti, Caterina Valente, Bill Conti, Hugo Heredia, Maurice Vander.[14][15][16][17] [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]

Pino Presti with Gerry Mulligan and Astor Piazzolla at the "Summit" recording (Milan, 1974)

He is listed under his real name, Giuseppe Prestipino, on the record: Libertango with Astor Piazzolla and in Summit (Reunión Cumbre) by Gerry Mulligan and Astor Piazzolla. He is listed under the name Giuseppe "Pino" Prestipino Giarritta on the records La Onda Máxima and Onda Nueva Instrumental by the Venezuelan pianist, composer, arranger Aldemaro Romero.

In April 1975 during the European tour with Mulligan and Piazzolla,[29] he also played at the Olympia Theatre in Paris and at the World Music Festival in Palma, Majorca. The combo was composed by Gerry Mulligan (saxophone baritone), Astor Piazzolla (bandoneón), Tom Fay (piano), Pino Presti (electric bass), Tullio De Piscopo (drums), Waldo de los Rios (organ), Sergio Farina (electric guitar). One set was for Gerry Mulligan, the second was dedicated to Astor Piazzolla and the last one was the reunion of Astor and Gerry and the songs of this last set were those that had been issued on the LP Summit-Reunion Cumbre.

In 1976 he created and produced for Atlantic Records the first dance-funk album in Italy: 1st Round with hit songs such as Smile, Funky Bump, L’estate di Laura, Sunny.[30]

Pino Presti and Maynard Ferguson

In 1977 he signed a contract with RAI2 as arranger, conductor and composer of original music for the noted TV show, Auditorio A, directed by Stefano De Stefani. On that occasion, he was the conductor of a big band composed of 56 musicians with star names like: Gino Paoli, Sergio Endrigo, Milva, Pino Daniele, Maynard Ferguson, Angelo Branduardi, Rino Gaetano, Fausto Leali, Giorgio Baiocco, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.[31] Other top shows were : C’era due volte, directed by Enzo Trapani (1980) and Il cappello sulle ventitré, directed by Fernanda Turvani (1983). [32] [33]

Besides composing music for TV series since the 1980s,[9] Pino Presti has been creating and producing albums under various pseudonyms for renowned labels such as: Polydor, Baby Records, Barclay, Edizioni Curci, Durium, Dischi Ricordi, Joker, as well as independent ones: Emergency Records, Soul Xpression, Level One, Self.

He has been living in France since 2004 and in 2009 created and produced the album, A La Costa Sud (La Musique De La Côte D'Azur) with 28 vocalists and / or instrumentalists who are from various continents and nations but who regularly perform in theaters and clubs in the French Riviera.[34]

In 2011, he composed a five hours soundtrack comprising music of different genres for Grand Heritage Hotel Group (and for its related media). These genres range from classic jazz, to nu jazz, bossanova, world music, and ambient music.

In 2013 Presti co-produced the tribute album Shirley Bunnie Foy (60th Anniversary), consisting of seventeen tracks performed by jazz vocalist Shirley Bunnie Foy in her 60 years career. The album includes such noted artists as The Dell-Tones, Tony Scott, Archie Shepp, Franco Cerri, Lou Bennett, among others.

In 2014 Presti composed, co-produced and realized, under the pseudonym Mad of Jazz, the album Deep Colors, with the collaboration of keyboardists, synth programmers and composers Claudio and Andrea Calzolari.

TV Shows

Discography (selected)

Albums

Bassist, arranger, bandleader on the occasion of Mina's last public performance at the Bussoladomani theatre, August 23, 1978

Singles

As performer, arranger, conductor on other artists' albums

From 1968 to 1970 Presti performed with Shirley Bassey on eight singles and on the album This Is My Life (La vita)

As performer

Pino Presti in 2007

As performer, arranger, conductor on other artists' singles

As performer

Presti played in the orchestra conducted by Quincy Jones on four recording sessions

See also

Martial Arts

Presti has trained in Shotokan karate and Goshindo under master Hiroshi Shirai from 1967 to 1985. He has also trainded on several occasions under other famous Japanese masters such as Taiji Kase, Hidetaka Nishiyama, Keinosuke Enoeda, Takeshi Naito, Hideo Ochi. Presti holds a fifth degree black belt obtained in Rome, in 1987.

References

  1. ↑ World Union of Karate-do Organizations Passport I.T. 000143 - Presti Pino 5° dan, decorrenza 01 gennaio 1988
  2. ↑ Rai Storia: Mina Mazzini, una voce senza rivali
  3. ↑ http://avaxhome.ws/music/pop/edi869.html
  4. ↑ http://www.groovecollector.com/pino-presti-1st-round/release/2218/.
  5. ↑ http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/schede/e/e_poi.htm.
  6. ↑ Pino Presti - Music on Google Play
  7. ↑ Pino Presti - Music database
  8. ↑ Mina-Dora Giannetti-Google libri
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Autori Vari (a cura di Gino Castaldo), Dizionario della canzone italiana, ed. Curcio, 1990; alla voce Presti Pino, di Dario Salvatori, pag. 1391
  10. ↑ OZ design. "il sito ufficiale di Mina". Minamazzini.com. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  11. ↑ Maurizio Chierici, Quando Mina voleva dire seduzione, pubblicato sul Corriere della sera del 26 giugno 1978
  12. ↑ Natalia Aspesi, Ecco Mina più grassa più bella e più brava, pubblicato su Repubblica del 4 luglio 1978
  13. ↑ Roberto Gelmini, Settemila in delirio per Mina, pubblicato su Il Giornale nuovo dell'11 luglio 1978
  14. ↑ "discografia 4". Homepage2.nifty.com. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  15. ↑ "Radio 3 Programmes - Composer of the Week, Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), Episode 4". BBC. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  16. ↑ "Reunion Cumbre (Summit)". Piazzolla.org. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  17. ↑ http://www.gerrymulligan.com/wp-content/uploads/GMD-2011.pdf
  18. ↑ http://extra.mymusic.com/product.asp?curr=0&muzenbr=1255942
  19. ↑ "Gerry Mulligan Recordings (Craig Hanley) - Summit With Astor Piazzolla". Gerrymulligan.info. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  20. ↑ "Mina - Grande, grande, grande". Italica. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  21. ↑ Aldo Dalla Vecchia, Mina live! 23 agosto 1978, pubblicato su Sorrisi e Canzoni del 25 agosto 2003
  22. ↑ Vittorio Franchini, Stéphane Grappelli, a Milano mostro sacro del Jazz, pubblicato su Corriere della Sera del 27 aprile 1973
  23. ↑ "Gerry Mulligan Recordings (Craig Hanley) - GM Meets Enrico Intra". Gerrymulligan.info. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  24. ↑ "Gerry Mulligan by Craig Hanley - Musicians L to R". Gerrymulligan.info. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  25. ↑ "Franco Cerri". Festivalchitarramenaggio.com. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  26. ↑ Wi. "Worldpress International24: PINO PRESTI E I SUOI DIECI ANNI CON MINA-LA PRIMA PAGINA- INTERVISTA DI ANTONELLA BERTI". Worldpress2010.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  27. ↑ "Instrumental" (in Spanish). Venciclopedia. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  28. ↑ "Severino Gazzelloni - Il Flauto D'Oro Di Severino Gazzelloni "In Pop" (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  29. ↑ "Gerry Mulligan by Craig Hanley - Dugelay's Newsletter (September 2002)". Gerrymulligan.info. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  30. ↑ "search Pino Presti". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  31. ↑ "serch ''Auditorio A'' 1977". Teche.rai.it. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  32. ↑ "search ''C'era due volte''1980". Teche.rai.it. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  33. ↑ "search ''Il Cappello sulle 23''1983". Teche.rai.it. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  34. ↑ "A la Costa Sud". A la Costa Sud. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  35. ↑ http://www.lastfm.it/music/Peter+Tosh/+videos/+1-4USAhCvg-JY

Bibliography

Presti during a stage of karate in Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany) 1992

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pino Presti.