Pino Palladino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pino Palladino
Palladino performing with the Who in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Giuseppe Henry Palladino
Born	(1957-10-17) 17 October 1957 (age 67) Cardiff, Wales
Origin	Finchley, London, England
Genres	Rock soul funk pop new wave jazz fusion
Occupation(s)	Bassist songwriter record producer
Instruments	Bass
Years active	1974–present

Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino (born 17 October 1957) is a talented Welsh musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is famous for playing the electric bass guitar. Pino is known as a session musician, which means he plays for many different artists in the studio or on tour. He has played bass for famous bands and singers like the Who, the John Mayer Trio, Gary Numan, Paul Young, Don Henley, David Gilmour, Tears for Fears, Nine Inch Nails, Jeff Beck, Adele, and D'Angelo.

Early Life

Pino Palladino was born in Cardiff, Wales, on October 17, 1957. His mother was Welsh, and his father was Italian. He went to a Catholic school. Pino started playing the guitar when he was 14 years old. He switched to the bass guitar at 17. A year later, he bought his first fretless bass. He mostly played R&B, funk, and reggae music.

Career Highlights

Pino Palladino loved Motown music and jazz from a young age. He also took classical guitar lessons. He enjoyed rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Yes and even started his own rock band.

In 1982, Pino recorded with Gary Numan. After that, he was asked to play on Paul Young's first album. Paul Young's song "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" became a big hit. Pino then joined Paul Young's band, the Royal Family. He also got offers to record with other artists like Joan Armatrading and David Gilmour. Some of his early bass influences were James Jamerson and Norman Watt-Roy. He also admired famous bass players like Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller.

In 1988 and 1989, Pino played on three songs for Don Henley's album The End of the Innocence. He also played on Ryuichi Sakamoto's album Beauty in 1989.

In 1991, Pino joined a band called The Law. This band included Paul Rodgers from Bad Company and Kenney Jones, who used to be the drummer for the Who. They recorded an album together.

During the 1990s, Pino used both fretless and fretted bass guitars. He played with many artists, including Melissa Etheridge, Elton John, and Eric Clapton.

Left to right: Steve Jordan, John Mayer, and Pino Palladino

In the late 1990s, Pino started working with neo-soul artist D'Angelo. They both loved Motown and classic soul music. Pino became part of a group called the Soulquarians. He played on many of their recordings and toured with D'Angelo's band, the Soultronics.

Pino also toured with Simon and Garfunkel on their reunion tour from 2003 to 2004.

Playing with The Who

In 2002, the bass player for the Who, John Entwistle, sadly passed away just before their tour. Pino Palladino stepped in to become the band's touring bass guitarist. In 2006, he played on their first album in 24 years, called Endless Wire. He performed with the Who at the Super Bowl XLIV half-time show in 2010. He stopped touring with the Who in 2016 but still plays on their studio albums, like their 2019 album Who.

The John Mayer Trio

Pino met drummer Steve Jordan in the 1980s. They became good friends. In 2005, Steve Jordan was supposed to play with John Mayer and another bassist, but the other bassist couldn't make it. Steve suggested Pino. Pino joined them, and they quickly found they had great musical chemistry. They formed a band called the John Mayer Trio.

Pino Palladino at the Amarone in Jazz festival in Italy, 2008

The John Mayer Trio released a live album called Try! in 2005. It included cover songs and new songs written by the trio. Pino also played on several of John Mayer's solo albums, including Continuum and Battle Studies.

Pino continued to work with many other artists. In 2006, he toured with Jeff Beck and played on an album with J. J. Cale and Eric Clapton. In 2011, he went back into the studio with D'Angelo to finish his album Black Messiah. In 2013, he played on the Nine Inch Nails album Hesitation Marks.

More recently, in 2024, Pino Palladino played on the song "II Most Wanted" from Beyoncé's album, Cowboy Carter. This song also featured Miley Cyrus.

Technique and Equipment

Pino Palladino is well-known for using a fretless bass on many of his recordings. A fretless bass doesn't have the metal strips (frets) on the neck, which allows for a smoother, more singing sound. Pino often combined this unique sound with an octaver effect, which makes the bass sound an octave lower. He also played bass lines that included chords and melodies, not just low notes. A good example of his fretless style is his playing on Paul Young's "Wherever I Lay My Hat". At that time, he used a 1979 Music Man StingRay Bass and a Boss OC-2 octave pedal.

From the 1990s onwards, Pino mainly started using a Fender Precision Bass. For D'Angelo's album Voodoo, he used his 1963 Sunburst Fender Precision. He used thick strings, a foam mute to dampen the sound, and an Ampeg B-15 amplifier. He has also played other bass guitars like the Fender Jaguar Bass.

Fender even created a special bass guitar called the Fender Pino Palladino Signature Precision Bass. It's designed to look and feel like two of his favorite Fender basses.

Personal Life

In 1992, Pino married Marilyn "Maz" Roberts. She was a singer in Paul Young's vocal group. They have three children: Fabiana, Giancarla, and Rocco. All of their children are also involved in the music industry, following in their father's footsteps!

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Pino Palladino para niños