Doddy Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) David Garibaldi posted on Facebook an hour ago that Francis 'Rocco' Prestia passed away last night. He was a super funky player, and his sixteenth note groove was a big factor in the Tower of Power sound. Sad news. Edited September 30, 2020 by wateroftyne 18 Quote
BassBunny Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 An absolute monster of a player. Had the pleasure of meeting him 3 years ago when TOP played in Manchester, (first time in 15 years), and he was an incredibly nice guy to talk to. Turns out that was his last tour and he only worked in the studio from then on in. Another legend gone. Quote
Chris2112 Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 Absolute legend of a player, the finest funk player of them all. I recall that he was ill in the 90's and had to step back from ToP for a while, but he had a good run and was able to return to playing for many years after that. He will be missed. Quote
lowdown Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 R.I.P Certainly one of my favourites from the early 70's onwards... I thought things were not so good when he posted this over the Weekend. Quote
OliverBlackman Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 Probably my biggest influence of all, was lucky to see him play twice. Absolute monster way ahead in the funk game. Quote
chris_b Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 Very sad news. But with his health issues, not really unexpected. About 20 years ago, Rocco was the first person I saw using crowd funding, when he was trying to fund a liver transplant. A few years ago ToP were touring in Holland and Rocco was hospitalised (something that happened more than once) and they had to do 2 shows without a bass player!!! That's why they replaced him on the road. Listen to the Bump City album. Blew my brain when I heard that for the first time. Quote
yorks5stringer Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 Met him a couple of times, lovely guy and absolutely no 'big-I-am'. A sad day and as Chris B says, he had serious health issues for many years. Quote
ash Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 There is a good article here in tribute to this legendary player whose death was recently announced - https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2020/09/30/in-memoriam-francis-rocco-prestia/ Quote
ezbass Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 A sad day for the world of bass. Thank you for the funk and the groove, Rocco. Quote
NoirBass Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 I blagged my way into a clinic with FRP as I was obsessed with TOP and particularly his bass playing. I asked so many questions that the people running it started ingnoring my hand each time it went up. Afterwards we got chatting to him and he was very self deprecating. I Showed him my transcriptions and he was amazed that anyone would bother. After a great chat he insisted that my mate and I go to the bands gig at the Forum that night on his guest list. Sure enough when we arrived our names were down. As they came on stage the entire band shook me and my mates hands. After the final encore the entire band did the same. I never got to say thanks him. He was my biggest inspiration and it was one of those rare times when your idol exceeds your expectations. RIP FRP. 11 Quote
chris_b Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) Rocco playing one of the best shuffle bass lines I've heard. . . . . . Edited September 30, 2020 by chris_b 1 Quote
Chezz55 Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 Thanks for some elegant and fluid bass playing Rocco, you opened my eyes and ears. RIP. 1 Quote
Bluewine Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 (edited) One of the greats is gone. Rocco was 69 years youbg.RIP ROCCO. BLUE Edited September 30, 2020 by Bluewine 1 Quote
stewblack Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 I seem to learn of so many great players only at the time of their passing. A latecomer to the genre and ToP in particular, I love the little I've heard. Learning about the bass player would have been my next step. Sad news. I'm sorry for those of you who knew and loved the guy's playing. Quote
Bluewine Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 Prestia had been battling various illnesses since 2001 – in 2014, he underwent a “lifesaving” kidney transplant.Tower of Power bandleader Emilio Castillo confirmed the news on the band’s official Facebook page, writing: “Our dear "Rocco" passed away last night, peacefully with his family by his side at a hospice in Las Vegas. “As a bass player he was totally unique and as a person he was one of a kind. He fought a long fight over the last 20 years and now he's with the Lord and heaven is his home. Blue Quote
lonestar Posted September 30, 2020 Posted September 30, 2020 https://open.spotify.com/track/7LAVKUMsMAp8JwA6nQm6b0?si=ZbxSdMBFRMOAOdlyuQi2EQ 1 Quote
Barking Spiders Posted October 1, 2020 Posted October 1, 2020 Very sad. One of my all-time fave players. Never knew he got ill again but then again he'd been ill for a long time previously. IMO the best exponent of fingerstyle funk I've heard. Quote
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