Pino Presti

Pino Presti (pseudonym of Giuseppe Prestipino Giarritta, is an Italian bass player, arranger, composer, conductor, record producer, born 23 August 1943, in Milan. He is a 5th-dan black belt in Shotokan Karate.
Presti, son of an accomplished violinist, Arturo Prestipino Giarritta, has been studying music since the age of 6. He was seventeen years old when he first entered the music business. Presti started as a bass guitar player, than gradually began as an arranger, a composer, an orchestra conductor and a producer. Among his collaborations in different genres of music like jazz, pop, funk, soul, we can find great names such as Mina (the most famous Italian pop singer), Gerry Mulligan, Astor Piazzolla (the bassline in the famous composition "Libertango" belongs to him), Quincy Jones, Wilson Pickett, Shirley Bassey, Maynard Ferguson, Franco Cerri, Stephane Grappelli, Aldemaro Romero and many others. He is considered one of the most important Italian arrangers/conductors.
Discography (selected)
Albums
1st Round - Atlantic Records (1976)
Maja Andina - Saar Records (1990)
A La Costa Sud - Edizioni Curci (2009)
Cafe Ipanema 2011 - Rambling Records (2011)
Shirley Bunnie Foy (60th Anniversary) - MAP Golden Jazz (2013)
Deep Colors - MAP/ Paper Moon (2014)
Sharade - Best Record Italy (2023)
Singles
"Rimani ancora/Oh! Jenny" - Durium (1964)
"In un posto fuori dal mondo/Messaggio d'amore" - Belldisc (1969)
"Karin/No sabe" - Dischi Ricordi (1970)
"Smile/L'estate di Laura" - Atlantic Records (1975)
"Funky Bump/C.so Buenos Ayres" - Atlantic Records (1976)
"Shitan Disco Shitan" - Barclay (1977)
"Sundown" - Durium (1978)
"You Know The Way part I/You Know The Way part II" - Baby Records (1979)
"You Know The Way" - Vinyl 12" 33 1/3 RPM - Emergency Records (1980)
"Money (That What I Want)" - Vinyl 12" 33 1/3 RPM - Baby Records (1980)
"To Miami/Mama's Away" - Cetra Records (1980)
"Dancing Nights/And I Love Her" - Polydor Records (1983)
"Ya No Puedo Vivir (The Bush Remixes)" - Vinyl 12" 33 1/3 RPM - Blow Up Disco (1991)
"Once Again Now" - Vinyl 12" 33 1/3 RPM - Soul Xpression (1992)
"Divine" - Vinyl 12" 33 1/3 RPM - Level One (2001)
"Feel Like a Woman" - CD Single - Self (2005)
"Jazz Carnival" - CD Single - Map (2015)
"Funky Bump" (Unreleased Original Extended Version)/"Funky Bump" (Original 7" Version) - Best Record Italy (2015)
"You Know The Way" (Disco Version by Tee Scott) - Best Record Italy (2016)
"To Africa / Soul Makossa" (EP) - Best Record Italy (2017)
"Pino Presti Featuring Roxy Robinson: You know Why" (EP) - Best Record Italy (2018)
As performer, arranger, conductor on other artists' albums
Mina - Artist: Mina - PDU (1971)
Cinquemilaquarantatre - Artist: Mina - PDU (1972)
Altro - Artist: Mina - PDU (1972)
Del mio meglio n. 2 - Artist: Mina - PDU (1973)
Frutta e verdura - Artist: Mina - PDU (1973)
Amanti di valore - Artist: Mina - PDU (1973)
Mina (1974 album) - Artist: Mina - PDU (1974)
Baby Gate (album) - Artist: Mina - PDU (1974)
Aulehla & Zappa - Artist: Aulehla & Zappa - PDU (1974)
Del mio meglio n. 3 - Artist: Mina - PDU (1975)
La Mina - Artist: Mina - PDU (1975)
Singolare - Artist: Mina - PDU (1976)
Del mio meglio n. 4 - Artist: Mina - PDU (1977)
Mina con Bigne - Artist: Mina - PDU (1977)
Minantologia - Artist: Mina - PDU (1977)
You Know Why - Artist: Roxy Robinson - OUT (1977)
Di tanto in tanto - Artist: Mina - PDU (1978)
Mina Live '78 - Artist: Mina - PDU (1978)
In Due - Artist: Wess and Dori Ghezzi - Durium (1979)
Filipponio - Artist: Filipponio - Cetra Records (1980)
Del mio meglio n. 6 Live - Artist: Mina - PDU (1981)
Il Flauto d' oro - Artist: Severino Gazzelloni - PDU (1983)
All'arrembaggio - Artist: Filipponio - Spice7 (1984)
Del mio meglio n. 8 - Artist: Mina - PDU (1985)
Del mio meglio n. 9 - Artist: Mina - PDU (1987)
Oggi ti amo di piu - Artist: Mina - PDU (1988)
Ridi pagliaccio - Artist: Mina - PDU (1988)
Mazzini canta Battisti - Artist: Mina - PDU (1994)
Mina Studio Collection - Artist: Mina - PDU (1998)
Mina Love Collection - Artist: Mina - PDU (2000)
Coleccion Latina - Artist: Mina - PDU (2001)
The Platinum Collection - Artist: Mina - PDU (2004)
Platinum Collection 2 - Artist: Mina - PDU (2006)
The Best of Platinum Collection - Artist: Mina - EMI Records (20O7)
Je suis Mina - Artist: Mina - EMI Records (2011)
Yo soy Mina - Artist: Mina - EMI Records (2011)
I am Mina - Artist: Mina - EMI Records (2011)
The Collection 3.0 - Artist: Mina - Warner Music (2015)
Tutte le migliori - Artist: Mina - Clan/PDU (2017)
Paradiso (Lucio Battisti Songbook) - Artist: Mina - PDU (2018)
As performer
12 Bacchette per una chitarra - Artist: Franco Cerri - gta (1966)
Dedicato a mio padre - Artist: Mina - PDU (1967)
This Is My Life (La vita) - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1968)
Mina alla Bussola dal vivo - Artist: Mina - PDU (1968)
Love and more Love - Artist: Puccio Roelens - Vedette Records (1969)
L'orchestra di Augusto Martelli dal vivo - Artist: Augusto Martelli - PDU (1969)
Quando tu mi spiavi in cima a un batticuore - Artist: Mina - PDU (1970)
Del mio meglio - Artist: Mina - PDU (1971)
La Onda Maxima - Artist: Aldemaro Romero - Antor (1972)
Black Sound From White People - Artist: Augusto Martelli - Fontana (1972)
Fratelli La Bionda s.r.l. - Artist: La Bionda - Dischi Ricordi (1972)
Metti una sera Cerri - Artist: Franco Cerri - Jazz Italiano-Music (1973)
Dal mio lontano - Artist: Renato Pareti - Ducale (1973)
Libertango - Artist: Astor Piazzolla - Carosello (1974)
Summit-Reunion Cumbre - Artist: Gerry Mulligan, Astor Piazzolla - erre-t-v (1974)
Lumiere / Suite Troileana - Artist: Astor Piazzolla - Carosello (1976)
Gerry Mulligan meets Enrico Intra - Artist: Gerry Mulligan, Enrico Intra - Produttori Associati (1976)
Onda Nueva Instrumental - Artist: Aldemaro Romero - Velvet Musica (1976)
Silence and Other Sounds - Artist: Roxy Robinson - ONE (1977)
Dissonanza-Consonanza - Artist: Enrico Intra - Musica Jazz (1999)
Circle - Artist: Perez Prado (re-edit) - Schema (2013)
Escandalo - Artist: Perez Prado - (re-edit) - Schema (2014)
Love Child - Artist: Perez Prado / Don Alfio - (re-edit) - Schema (2014)
As performer, arranger, conductor on other artists' singles
"Grande grande grande" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1971)
"Domenica sera" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1973)
"E poi" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1973)
"Lamento d'amore" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1973)
"La scala buia" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1974)
"L'importante e finire" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1975)
"Nuda" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1976)
"Citta Vuota (It's a Lonely Town)" - Artist: Mina - PDU (1978)
"Dentro" - Artist: Beba Loncar - CBS Records (1978)
"Momento" - Artist: Wess & Dori Ghezzi - Durium (1979)
"Pazzo non amore mio/L'Unica" - Artist: Filipponio - Cetra Records (1979)
"Regina del futuro/Noia" - Artist: Marisa Sacchetto - F1 Team (1981)
"Quale appuntamento" - Artist: Eleonora Giorgi - Dischi Ricordi (1981)
As performer
"Che vale per me/Eccomi" - Artist: Eartha Kitt - RCA (1968)
"La vita/Without A Word" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1968)
"Domani domani/Pronto sono io" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1968)
"Yes/To Give" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1968)
"E' giorno/If You Go Away" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1968)
"Chi si vuole bene come noi/Epirops" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1968)
"Com'e piccolo il mondo/Manchi solo tu" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1968)
"Concerto d'autunno/You Are My Way Of Life" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1969)
"Ora che sei qui/Something" - Artist: Shirley Bassey - United Artists (1970)
"Non preoccuparti/Adesso ricomincerei" - Artist: Lara Saint Paul, arranger-conductor Quincy Jones - Polydor (1973)
"Cara Fatina/Lettera a Pinocchio" - Artist: Tony Renis, arranger-conductor Quincy Jones - ref : CDI (2001)
TV Shows
1964 : Questo & Quello (Rai Uno) - Bassist, Singer (Hosted by Giorgio Gaber)
1965/1966 : Le Nostre Serate (Rai Due) - Bassist, Singer (Hosted by Giorgio Gaber)
1969 : Sanremo Festival (Rai Uno) - Bassist with Wilson Pickett
1977 : Auditorio A (Rai Due) - Composer, Arranger, Conductor (Guest appearance by Maynard Ferguson)
1980 : C'era due volte (Rai Due) - Composer, Arranger, Conductor (Guest appearances by Peter Tosh)
1983 : Il Cappello sulle ventitre (Rai Due) - Composer, Arranger, Conductor (Hosted by Gino Paoli)
Martial Arts
Presti has trained in Shotokan karate and Goshindo under master Hiroshi Shirai from 1967 to 1985. He has also trainded on several occasions under other famous Japanese masters such as Taiji Kase, Hidetaka Nishiyama, Keinosuke Enoeda, Takeshi Naito, Hideo Ochi. Presti holds a fifth degree black belt obtained n Rome, in 1987.