Rocco Prestia

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.

Rocco Prestia
Prestia in 2010
Prestia in 2010
Background information
Birth nameFrancis Rocco Prestia Jr.
Born(1951-03-07)March 7, 1951
Sonora, California, U.S.
DiedSeptember 29, 2020(2020-09-29) (aged 69)
GenresSmooth jazz, jazz-funk, funk, rhythm and blues
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Electric bass
Years active1970–2020

Biography

Born in Sonora, California, Prestia started playing electric guitar as an adolescent. When he auditioned for Emilio Castillo's band, Tower of Power, Castillo persuaded him to switch to electric bass.[1]

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 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 James Jamerson, Stanley Clarke, Anthony Jackson and Alphonso Johnson, Prestia belonged to a generation of musicians that fostered a revolution on the electric bass—inspiring the innovative work of Jaco Pastorius in the mid-1970s.[3] Prestia's influential style can be heard on classic Tower of Power tracks such as the 1973 hit "What is Hip". Prestia cited James Jamerson and the different musicians who worked for James Brown (particularly Bootsy Collins) as his main influences.[4]

Equipment

Prestia's primary instruments were his Fender Precision basses (a purple transparent American Deluxe and a natural ash-bodied short-lived signature model with a reverse split pickup and a 2-band EQ). He later maintained an association with the Conklin company that provided him a custom built four-string instrument, one of the few in the company's catalog.[5]

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.[8]

Discography

As leader
  • Everybody on the Bus! (1999)

With Tower of Power

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
  1. Parsons, Eric (9 February 2015). "Simply Rocco". Bass Musician. pp. 12–22.
  2. "Rocco Prestia Biography". Tower of Power. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  3. Barrett, John (12 October 2011). "The 20 Most Underrated Bass Guitarists". Paste. ISSN 1540-3106.
  4. "Rocco Revisits the Prophets of Soul". Bass Player. February 2009. ISSN 1050-785X.
  5. Forte, Dan (January 2009). "The Power of Tower". Vintage Guitar. ISSN 1067-2605.
  6. "Rocco Prestia Joins ESP Artist Roster". Bass Player. 11 January 2013. ISSN 1050-785X.
  7. Johnson, Kevin (22 March 2014). "ESP Introduces LTD RB Series Design with Rocco Prestia". No Treble.
  8. Bienstock, Richard (2020-09-30). "Legendary Tower of Power bassist Rocco Prestia dies aged 69". Guitar World. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
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