Pino Presti facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pino Presti
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Pino Presti
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Giuseppe Prestipino Giarritta |
| Born | 23 August 1943 Milan, Italy |
| Died | 15 October 2026 (aged 83) |
| Genres | Pop, jazz, funk, Latin music, dance |
| Occupation(s) | conductor, arranger, Bassist, composer, record producer |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, Fender Rhodes, percussion |
| Years active | 1961–2026 |
| Labels | Atlantic, Durium, Saar, Polydor, Baby Records, Emergency, Belldisc, Edizioni Curci, Dischi Ricordi |
Giuseppe Prestipino Giarritta (23 August 1943 – 15 October 2026), known to music lovers as Pino Presti, was an Italian musician, composer, arranger, and orchestra conductor. Born in the bustling northern city of Milan, he became famous across Europe for his amazing skill on the bass guitar. He was also a remarkable athlete who earned a 5th-dan black belt in the traditional martial art of Shotokan Karate.
During his long career, Presti shaped many styles of modern sound. He recorded energetic jazz, rhythmic funk, lively pop, expressive soul, and toe-tapping Latin music. He worked side by side with legendary international stars like the American producer Quincy Jones and the singer Wilson Pickett. He directed huge television orchestras with dozens of musicians playing at once. Throughout his life, Presti showed that dedication, practice, and curiosity can turn a childhood hobby into a worldwide musical journey.
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Early Life and Growing Up with Music
Pino Presti grew up in a home filled with lovely sounds. His father, Arturo Prestipino Giarritta, was an accomplished violinist who taught him how magical instruments could be. When he was just six years old, young Pino began formal lessons in piano and classical music theory. Learning to read sheet music at an early age helped him understand how different notes fit together like puzzle pieces.
By the time he was a teenager, Presti fell in love with the deep, rumbling rhythm of the bass guitar. The bass is an essential instrument because it provides the rhythmic foundation of a song. It connects the sharp beat of the drums to the melodies played by guitars and keyboards. When he was 17 years old, Presti began playing in music clubs around Milan and working inside recording studios as a professional bass player.
Although he briefly signed a recording contract as a singer with Durium in Milan, Presti preferred performing on instruments. He spent countless hours in sound booths, helping famous singers create their albums. He played bass on records for famous Italian performers, including Giorgio Gaber, Ornella Vanoni, Gino Paoli, Bruno Lauzi, Fabrizio De André, Sergio Endrigo, and Mia Martini. His steady rhythm helped other stars shine, including Franco Battiato, Adriano Celentano, Milva, Pino Donaggio, Gigliola Cinquetti, Caterina Caselli, Bobby Solo, Fausto Leali, Ivan Graziani, and Loredana Bertè.
Working with Superstar Singer Mina
Presti had a very special artistic partnership with Mina, who is considered the most famous pop singer in Italy. At first, Presti played bass guitar in the studio during her recording sessions. He also traveled with her on concert tours. Over time, Mina noticed his extraordinary talent for organizing songs, so she asked him to become her head music arranger and conductor.
An arranger takes a raw melody and decides which instruments should play each note, such as adding sweeping violins or energetic trumpets. A conductor stands in front of the musicians, using hand gestures to keep everyone in perfect time. Between 1971 and 1978, Presti arranged and conducted 86 songs for Mina. Many of these tracks became huge number-one hits, such as "Grande grande grande", "E penso a te", "L'importante è finire", "E poi", "Città vuota", "La pioggia di marzo", and "Fiume azzurro".
Presti arranged several top-selling albums for Mina, such as Mina, Cinquemilaquarantatre, Frutta e verdura, Amanti di valore, Baby Gate, La Mina, Singolare, and Mina con bignè. He also composed four original songs directly for her voice: "Tentiamo ancora", "L'amore è un'altra cosa", "Amante amore", and "Bignè" for the record Ridi pagliaccio.
In the summer of 1978, Mina gave a series of historic concerts at the Bussoladomani theatre in Viareggio. Presti conducted a powerful 14-piece orchestra along with a full vocal choir. The concerts were captured on the double live album Mina Live '78. Critics praised the shows as an absolute triumph, comparing the rich sound to the grandest musical revues seen in the Las Vegas entertainment scene.
International Music Collaborations
An Unexpected Concert with Wilson Pickett
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In 1969, the American soul legend Wilson Pickett traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to perform at the famous Sanremo Festival in Italy. However, an unexpected travel problem occurred: Pickett's regular bass player was stopped at an airport in London and could not reach Italy in time. The American band desperately needed a substitute who could learn difficult songs very quickly.
While searching for a musician in the city of Sanremo, Pickett heard Presti playing the bass behind American singer Brenton Wood. Pickett was amazed by Presti's tight groove and sharp timing. He stopped his search on the spot and asked Presti to perform the song "Un' Avventura" with him on stage. The performance was a huge hit, and Pickett invited Presti to join his entire European concert tour.
Adventures in Tango and Jazz
Presti also worked alongside Argentine composer Ástor Piazzolla, who invented a thrilling modern style of tango music. Presti played electric bass on 24 studio tracks with Piazzolla, including the world-famous instrumental masterpiece Libertango. Presti was also chosen to perform on the celebrated collaborative album Summit, which brought Piazzolla together with American jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan.
In April 1975, the group traveled across Europe for a series of historic concerts. They performed at the prestigious Olympia Theatre in France and at a massive international festival in Palma, Majorca. Presti anchored the rhythm section on electric bass alongside Italian drummer Tullio De Piscopo, organist Waldo de los Rios, guitarist Sergio Farina, and pianist Tom Fay. Audiences cheered as the musicians blended tango melodies with sophisticated jazz harmonies.
Working with Global Superstars
Presti's talent led to projects with many other famous performers from around the world:
- He recorded bass tracks for Welsh singer Shirley Bassey, including her hit album This Is My Life.
- He worked with legendary American producer Quincy Jones, recording songs with Italian singer Tony Renis and pop artist Lara Saint Paul.
- He recorded bass lines for the iconic American singer and actress Eartha Kitt.
- He performed alongside world-class jazz soloists, including French violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Canadian trumpet star Maynard Ferguson, and Italian jazz guitarist Franco Cerri.
- He collaborated with classical flute master Severino Gazzelloni and Venezuelan bandleader Aldemaro Romero.
Creating Italy's First Funk-Dance Record
During the mid-1970s, modern dance styles were becoming popular in clubs across North America and Europe. Presti loved the sharp beats and groovy bass rhythms of American funk. In 1976, he wrote, arranged, and produced 1st Round for the major record company Atlantic Records.
Music historians consider 1st Round to be the very first dance-funk record ever produced in Italy. The album featured catchy rhythms, bright horns, and Presti's energetic bass lines. It included popular dance songs such as "Funky Bump", "L'estate di Laura", and creative cover versions of classic tunes like "Smile" and "Sunny".
Presti handled many different jobs during recording sessions. In addition to slapping and plucking the electric bass, he played keys like the Fender Rhodes electric piano and added colorful acoustic percussion effects. He showed European audiences that dance music could be both technically complex and fun to hear.
Big Band Conductor for Television
During the late 1970s, national television networks in Italy organized major music programs featuring live orchestras. In 1977, the Italian public broadcast network RAI2 hired Presti to serve as chief composer, arranger, and conductor for a popular television show called Auditorio A.
For this program, Presti stood in front of a giant big band made up of 56 professional musicians. Directing such a large group required incredible discipline, because every violin, flute, trombone, and drum had to play in harmony. The show featured famous musical guests from across Europe, such as pop singer Pino Daniele, folk musician Angelo Branduardi, rocker Rino Gaetano, and progressive rock group Banco del Mutuo Soccorso. He also welcomed the famous Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson to play lightning-fast horn solos.
Presti returned to conduct big bands for other Italian television shows, such as C'era due volte in 1980, which featured reggae star Peter Tosh. In 1983, he led the orchestra for Il cappello sulle ventitré, which was hosted by singer Gino Paoli. He composed memorable theme songs for television broadcasts and produced records for top labels like Polydor, Baby Records, Barclay, and Dischi Ricordi.
Later Musical Adventures
In 2004, Presti moved his recording studio to the sunny south of France. Inspired by the Mediterranean coast, he produced the 2009 album A La Costa Sud. This creative record brought together 28 vocalists and instrumentalists from different continents who played music along the French Riviera.
In 2011, Presti completed a massive soundtrack project for the Grand Heritage Hotel Group. He wrote five straight hours of original music that combined different global styles, including nu jazz, Brazilian bossanova, traditional world music, and relaxing ambient music. Two years later, in 2013, he co-produced a special tribute album titled Shirley Bunnie Foy to honor American jazz singer Shirley Bunnie Foy. The project featured rare tracks recorded with jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp and clarinetist Tony Scott.
Presti continued releasing new music through his senior years:
- In 2014, he used the pseudonym Mad of Jazz to produce the electronic jazz album Deep Colors.
- In 2016, he composed original music for a nationwide Italian advertising campaign for home design company Scavolini.
- In 2023, he released a vinyl record titled Pino Presti & Garden Planet - Sharade on digital Streaming platforms.
- In 2024, a remastered version of his groundbreaking funk record 1st Round was published internationally by Planet Records.
- In 2025, he produced the soul compilation Soul Touches, along with an instrumental project dedicated to the famous arrangements he wrote for Mina.
- In early 2026, he released an updated digital edition of his 1974 performance of Libertango.
Martial Arts Master
Beyond his busy life in recording studios, Presti was a devoted athlete who practiced traditional Shotokan karate for decades. From 1967 to 1985, he trained under the famous Japanese master Hiroshi Shirai, who helped introduce karate to Italy. Presti learned that martial arts required intense concentration, physical balance, and deep respect for others.
He attended special training seminars with legendary Japanese teachers, including Taiji Kase, Hidetaka Nishiyama, Keinosuke Enoeda, Takeshi Naito, and Hideo Ochi. After years of practice, Presti earned his 5th-dan black belt in Rome in 1987. Presti often explained that the strict mental discipline needed for martial arts helped him remain calm and focused when conducting complicated orchestras.
Passing and Legacy
Presti passed away on 15 October 2026 at the age of 83. Over a musical career that lasted more than six decades, he helped shape popular culture in Italy and across the world. His bass lines remain famous for their bounce and energy, while his orchestral arrangements continue to be studied by students learning how to compose music. Presti proved that a curious artist can master many crafts, from playing instruments and leading big bands to practicing martial arts.
Selected Discography
Solo Albums
- 1st Round – Atlantic Records (1976)
- On The Lifeline – LCS (1985)
- Maja Andina – Saar Records (1990)
- A La Costa Sud – Edizioni Curci (2009)
- Café Ipanema 2011 – Rambling Records (2011)
- Shirley Bunnie Foy – MAP Golden Jazz (2013)
- Deep Colors – MAP / Paper Moon (2014)
- Pino Presti & Garden Planet - Sharade – Private Recordings (2023)
- 1st Round - Digital Remastered 2024 – Planet Records (2024)
- Soulful Touches – Planet Distribution (2025)
Notable Album Collaborations
- Dedicato a mio padre – Artist: Mina (1967)
- This Is My Life – Artist: Shirley Bassey (1968)
- Mina alla Bussola dal vivo – Artist: Mina (1968)
- Mina – Artist: Mina (1971)
- Cinquemilaquarantatre – Artist: Mina (1972)
- Frutta e verdura – Artist: Mina (1973)
- Libertango – Artist: Ástor Piazzolla (1974)
- Summit – Artists: Gerry Mulligan and Ástor Piazzolla (1974)
- Baby Gate – Artist: Mina (1974)
- La Mina – Artist: Mina (1975)
- Singolare – Artist: Mina (1976)
- Mina Live '78 – Artist: Mina (1978)
- Il Flauto d'oro – Artist: Severino Gazzelloni (1983)
- The Platinum Collection – Artist: Mina (2004)
- Paradiso (Lucio Battisti Songbook) – Artist: Mina (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Pino Presti para niños
- List of music arrangers
- List of jazz musicians
- List of jazz bassists
