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 guitar
Years active	1974–present

Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino (born 17 October 1957) is a talented musician from Wales. He is known for playing the bass guitar. Pino has worked with many famous artists and bands. Some of these include the Who, the John Mayer Trio, Adele, and D'Angelo. He is a "session musician," which means he is often hired to play on recordings or tours for different artists.

Pino's Early Life
Pino's Music Career
Pino's Bass Style and Gear
Pino's Family Life
Discography
See also

Pino's Early Life

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

Pino's Music Career

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

Starting Out in Music

In 1982, Pino played bass on Gary Numan's album I, Assassin. 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 in Europe. Pino then joined Paul Young's band, The Royal Family. Soon, other artists like Joan Armatrading and David Gilmour wanted him to play on their songs.

Pino looked up to bass players like James Jamerson and Norman Watt-Roy. He also admired Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller.

Playing with Famous Artists

In 1988 and 1989, Pino played on three songs for Don Henley's album The End of the Innocence. One of these songs was the popular "New York Minute". In 1989, he also recorded with Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.

In 1991, Pino joined a band called The Law. This band included Paul Rodgers from Bad Company and drummer Kenney Jones. Kenney Jones had played with the Who after Keith Moon passed away.

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

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

Working with D'Angelo and The Who

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

From 2003 to 2004, Pino toured with Simon and Garfunkel on their reunion tour.

In 2002, the Who's bass player, John Entwistle, passed away. Pino Palladino then became the band's touring bass guitarist. In 2006, he played on their album Endless Wire. He also performed with the Who at the Super Bowl XLIV half-time show in 2010. Pino toured with the Who until 2016. However, he 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 bass player for a concert. When the other bass player couldn't make it, Steve suggested Pino. Pino knew some of John Mayer's music and agreed to play.

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

They played a Jimi Hendrix song called "Bold as Love" and felt a great connection. They decided to form a band called the John Mayer Trio. In November 2005, they released a live album called Try!. This album included cover songs and new songs written by the trio. Pino also played on several of John Mayer's solo albums, including Continuum and The Search for Everything.

Recent Work

Pino has continued to work with many 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 the album Black Messiah. In 2013, he played on the Nine Inch Nails album Hesitation Marks. He also helped produce José James' album No Beginning No End.

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

Pino's Bass Style and Gear

Pino Palladino is famous for using a fretless bass on many albums. A fretless bass doesn't have metal strips (frets) on the neck. This allows for a smooth, sliding sound. Pino often combined this unique sound with an "octaver effect" pedal. This pedal makes the bass sound an octave lower, creating a very deep tone. He also played bass lines that included chords and melodies, not just low notes. A great example of his fretless style is on Paul Young's "Wherever I Lay My Hat". Back then, he used a 1979 Music Man StingRay Bass and a Boss OC-2 octave pedal.

Since the 1990s, Pino has mostly used a Fender Precision Bass. For D'Angelo's album Voodoo, he used his 1963 Sunburst Fender Precision Bass. He used thick strings, a foam mute, and an Ampeg B-15 amplifier to get a special sound. He has also played other basses like the Fender Jaguar Bass.

Fender even made a special "Pino Palladino Signature Precision Bass." This bass is designed to look and feel like two of Pino's favorite Fender basses.

Pino's Family 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 world.