Rocco Prestia
Rocco Prestia | |
---|---|
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | |
Genres | Smooth jazz, jazz-funk, funk, rhythm and blues |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Electric bass |
Years active | 1970–2020 |
Francis Rocco Prestia Jr. (March 7, 1951 – September 29, 2020) was an American bassist, best known for his work with the funk band Tower of Power.
Biography
Born in
Prestia worked with the band for the next three decades, before he became seriously ill in 2001. His fans and friends created a foundation in order to help pay the artist's medical costs. On December 5, 2014, Prestia underwent successful liver transplant surgery.[2]
Rocco is survived by the loves of his life, Julian Francis Rocco Prestia and Alicia-Lyn JoAnn Prestia.
Technique and influences
Prestia was a master of fingerstyle funk bass playing. His technique made heavy use of left hand muting. He muted his strings lightly to create a thick percussive sound while maintaining pitch clarity. He also frequently incorporated ghost notes to fill empty space. His characteristic sound, in combination with a highly rhythmic approach to bass lines, makes Prestia's sound unmistakable.[1]
Along with
Equipment
Prestia's primary instruments were his
In January 2013, ESP Guitars announced that Prestia had joined their roster of endorsing artists. The company made reference to the introduction of their LTD RB series on May 22, 2014.[6][7]
Death
Prestia died on September 29, 2020, at age 69, in a Las Vegas hospice.[8]
Discography
As leader
- Everybody on the Bus! (1999)
With Tower of Power
- East Bay Grease (1970)
- Bump City (1972)
- Tower of Power (1973)
- Back to Oakland (1974)
- Urban Renewal (1975)
- In The Slot(1975)
- Live and in Living Color (1976)
- Ain't Nothin' Stoppin' Us Now (1976)
- Power (1987)
- Monster on a Leash (1991)
- T.O.P. (1993)
- Souled Out (1995)
- Rhythm & Business (1997)
- Direct Plus (1997)
- Soul Vaccination Live (1999)
- Dinosaur Tracks (2000)
- Oakland Zone (2003)
- The Great American Soul Book (2009)
- Soul Side of Town (2018)
- Step Up (2020)
With Other Artists
- Carmen Grillo, Both Sides Of The Coin (1996)
- Bruce Conte, Right From My Heart (1997) (bass on "Thump")
- Yoichi Murata, Hook Up (1999) (bass on "Positive Sign", "When You Leave (And I...)", "Carry On")
- Gov't Mule, The Deep End, Volume 2 (2002) (bass on "What Is Hip?")
Videography
- Fingerstyle Funk (1993)
- Francis Rocco Prestia: Live at Bass Day (1998)
References
- ^ a b Parsons, Eric (February 9, 2015). "Simply Rocco". Bass Musician. pp. 12–22.
- ^ "Rocco Prestia Biography". Tower of Power. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ISSN 1540-3106.
- ISSN 1050-785X.
- ISSN 1067-2605.
- ISSN 1050-785X.
- ^ Johnson, Kevin (March 22, 2014). "ESP Introduces LTD RB Series Design with Rocco Prestia". No Treble.
- ^ Bienstock, Richard (September 30, 2020). "Legendary Tower of Power bassist Rocco Prestia dies aged 69". Guitar World. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
External links
- Official website
- Rocco Prestia at AllMusic
- Rocco Prestia discography at Discogs
- Rocco Prestia at How to Play Bass
- Rocco Prestia Interview at NAMM Oral History Library (2013)