"A phenomenal bassist" (Carol Kaye)
“A great contrabassist who is just as formidable on the electric bass” (Lenny White)
Marco
Panascia is a bassist, composer and educator living in New York City. His
proficiency in many different musical situations and settings, and
his strong doubling skills on the acoustic and the electric
basses have earned him wholehearted praise in the United States, Europe
and Japan. He entered the international spotlight by recording and
touring in three continents with Sony Classical artist Eldar, a remarkably
young jazz pianist referred to as "a truly virtuosic musical prodigy"
by Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times. Marco Panascia’s bass playing is
featured on Eldar’s “Live at the Blue Note” Sony CD release, which earned a
four-star review in “Down Beat” magazine, and reached no. 3 on the US Jazz
Radio chart.
Mr. Panascia began taking classical piano lessons at
the age of eight in his hometown of Catania, Italy, and started playing
electric bass in rock and funk bands at the age of sixteen. He then enrolled at
the local music conservatory as a double bass major, and soon developed a
passion for jazz, after discovering the music of bassists Jaco Pastorius and
John Patitucci. After winning first prize at the International Jazz Double Bass
Competition in Edinburgh, Scotland, Mr. Panascia relocated to the United States
in 1999. Within five years, he earned a summa cum laude Bachelor of Music
degree from the Berklee College of Music, and a Master of Music degree from the
Manhattan School of Music, as a full tuition scholarship recipient.
Since arriving in New York in 2002, Mr. Panascia quickly
earned a reputation as a valuable freelance acoustic and electric bassist,
working in the sextet of veteran Blue Note drummer Ben Dixon, and recording
with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Greg Hutchinson and Lewis Nash. Also highly regarded as a private bass
teacher and studio musician, Mr. Panascia can often be seen performing in some
of New York’s world-famous concert halls and clubs, such as the Hammerstein
Ballroom, the Blue Note, Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smalls
and 55 Bar.
Over the years, Mr. Panascia has built an impressive
performance résumé, appearing with the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra, and
with several distinguished artists such as pianists Herbie Hancock, Benny
Green, Joe Sample, Dave Grusin, Makoto Ozone; vocalists Bobby McFerrin, Dianne
Reeves, Shirley Horn, Kevin Mahogany; drummers Peter Erskine, Lewis Nash, Greg
Hutchinson, Rodney Green, Alex Acuna, Ben Dixon; saxophonists Joe Lovano, Dave
Liebman, Vincent Herring, Tom Scott, Dave Koz; trumpeters Roy Hargrove, Chris
Botti, Doc Severinsen, Jeremy Pelt; and other music legends, such as Quincy
Jones, Carol Kaye and Gary Burton. Mr. Panascia maintains an active presence on
the Internet with his website marcopanascia.com, and is scheduled to
record a CD of his original compositions, one of which earned him an
honorable mention in the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest.
Marco
Panascia uses and endorses Markbass amplifiers, Mike Lull Custom Electric
Basses, Thomastik-Infeld Double Bass
Strings and CodaBow Carbon Fiber Bows.
(Last updated on Dec 29, 2006)
Marco
Panascia is a bassist, composer and educator living in New York City. His
proficiency in many different musical situations and settings, and
his strong doubling skills on the acoustic and the electric
basses have earned him wholehearted praise in the United States, Europe
and Japan. He entered the international spotlight by recording and
touring in three continents with Sony Classical artist Eldar, a remarkably
young jazz pianist referred to as "a truly virtuosic musical prodigy"
by Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times. Marco Panascia’s tenure with Eldar culminated in two celebrated CD releases on the Sony BMG Masterworks label: “Live at the Blue Note”, which earned a
four-star review in “Down Beat” magazine, and topped the US Jazz
Radio chart, and “re-imagination”, which received a 2008 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, alongside Herbie Hancock and other luminaries. Panascia is currently featured in pianist Eric Reed's working ensembles, ranging from duo to quintet.
Mr.
Panascia began taking classical piano lessons at the age of eight in his
hometown of Catania, Italy, and started playing electric bass in rock and funk
bands at the age of sixteen. He then enrolled at the local music conservatory
as a double bass major, and soon developed a passion for jazz, after
discovering the music of Jaco Pastorius, and attending a life-changing concert
of the John Patitucci Trio in 1992.
After
winning first prize at the International Jazz Double Bass Competition in
Edinburgh, Scotland, Mr. Panascia relocated to the United States in 1999 to
study at the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated summa cum laude and
was awarded six scholarships, including the Roy Haynes award for
"outstanding achievement in performance". Upon reception of a
merit-based full tuition scholarship from the Manhattan School of Music, Mr.
Panascia moved to New York City in 2002, and earned a Master of Music degree
from that institution in 2004.
Since
arriving in New York, Mr. Panascia quickly earned a reputation as a valuable freelance acoustic
and electric bassist, working in the sextet of veteran Blue Note drummer Ben
Dixon, and recording with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Greg Hutchinson and Lewis
Nash. Also highly regarded as a private bass instructor and studio musician, Mr.
Panascia has often been seen performing in some of New York’s world-famous
concert halls and clubs, such as the Hammerstein Ballroom, The Blue Note,
Birdland, The Allen Room and Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, 55 Bar, Smalls, Jazz
Standard, Sweet Rhythm, Lenox Lounge, Zinc Bar and Smoke. On several
occasions, he has also led his own groups in local venues, presenting his
own original compositions and arrangements of classic jazz standards. The Marco
Panascia Quartet has been featured with one track in the Jazziz magazine's
collector CD (October 2003), featuring today's finest up-and-coming musicians
on the US and international jazz scene. Mr. Panascia has also been featured in
several other high-profile magazines, newspapers and e-zines, including the Los
Angeles Times, All About Jazz-New York, and jazzink.com
Over the
years, Mr. Panascia has built an impressive performance résumé, appearing with the Boston Civic
Symphony Orchestra, and with several top international jazz artists, such as vibraphonist
Gary Burton, pianists Herbie Hancock, Benny Green, Joe Sample, Dave Grusin,
Michel Legrand, Shelly Berg, Billy Childs, Anthony Wonsey, Eric Lewis, Roberta
Piket, Aaron Goldberg, Allen Farnham, Makoto Ozone, Jon Davis, David Benoit; vocalists
Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves, Shirley Horn, Kevin Mahogany, Patti Austin, Jane
Monheit, New York Voices, Cheryl Bentyne of Manhattan Transfer; drummers Peter
Erskine, Lewis Nash, Greg Hutchinson, Rodney Green, Ari Hoenig, Elliott Zigmund, Alex Acuna, Ben Dixon, Terri
Lyne Carrington, Kenny Wollesen, Gregg Field, Todd Strait, EJ Strickland;
saxophonists Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Vincent Herring, Tom Scott, Dave Koz,
George Garzone, Lew Tabackin, David Sanchez, Javon Jackson, John Ellis, Joel
Frahm, JD Allen, Teodross Avery, Wayne Escoffery, Jerry Dodgion; trumpeters Roy Hargrove,
Chris Botti, Wallace Roney, Terence Blanchard, Doc Severinsen, Jeremy Pelt,
Darren Barrett, Tiger Okoshi, Duane Eubanks; trombonists Curtis Fuller, Andre
Hayward, Isaac Smith; bassists Christian McBride, Carol Kaye, Al McKibbon,
Reginald Veal; guitarists Russell Malone, Ron Affif, Jonathan Kreisberg, William
Ash, Ron Jackson.
As an
orchestral or electric bassist, Mr. Panascia has also worked with world-class
conductors and composers such as Quincy Jones, John Clayton, Jerry Goldsmith,
Jack Elliott, Bruce Broughton, Bob Brookmeyer, Patrick Williams, Elmer
Bernstein, Vince Mendoza, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, David Newman,
Don Williams, Cecil Bridgewater and Phil Wilson. His international performing
schedule with Eldar and other artists has brought him to Japan three times, as
well as Turkey, France, Holland, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, and
he has appeared on some of the most renowned stages in the United States, such
as Royce Hall and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA; Symphony Hall in
Boston, MA; Spivey Hall in Atlanta, GA and the Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts in Washington, DC.
Although
Mr. Panascia has gained recognition especially as a jazz bassist, he possesses
a gift for musical versatility that has allowed him to become quite in demand
in other musical styles as well, having performed or recorded in the
studio with Korean pop artists Kim Dong Ryul and Shim Soo Bong, gospel pianist
Wydell Croom, Latin Grammy-nominated ensemble Negroni’s Trio, hip hop MC and producer Grand Royal, Australian Idol finalist Garth Ploog, singer-songwriter Reid Maclean, and world music stylist Andromeda
Turre (a former "Raelette" background vocalist for Ray Charles). His
rendition of Claude Bolling's "Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio"
with the Roselli Quartet, successfully blending jazz and classical
influences, is now available worldwide on the Naxos label.
Mr.
Panascia is an alumnus of several full fellowship educational institutions,
including the Henry Mancini Institute at UCLA (2000, 2001, 2005), Betty
Carter's Jazz Ahead at the Kennedy Center (2001, 2002), the Steans Institute
for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival (2001, 2002) and the Jazz Aspen
Snowmass Academy for Emerging Artists (2002). He was also a finalist for the
Alberto Vilar Global Fellowship in the Performing Arts at New York University
(2002) and at the International Society of Bassists Jazz Competition in
Indianapolis (2001) and Richmond, VA (2003). In February 2003, he was
selected by Dr. Billy Taylor for the cable television program "Jazz and
the New Generation", sponsored by the Kennedy Center in Washington DC,
showcasing a sextet of award-winning and promising jazz musicians, including a
then little known fifteen year old piano prodigy named Eldar.
Mr.
Panascia is a member of Local 802, New York's professional musicians' union,
and of the International Society of Bassists. He maintains an active presence
on the Internet with his website marcopanascia.com, and is scheduled to
record a CD of his original compositions, one of which earned him an
honorable mention in the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest.
Marco Panascia uses and endorses Markbass amplifiers, Mike
Lull Custom Electric Basses, Thomastik-Infeld Double Bass Strings and CodaBow
Carbon Fiber Bows.