Patitucci and the Quartet's sound engineer Rob Griffin were instrumental in providing their input to the design of the DPA 4099B for bass. They worked together with DPA designers to develop a light, non-invasive rubber mount for the 4099, which fits onto the bass strings between the bridge and the tailpiece. A small gooseneck fitting allows for greater flexibility in moving and positioning the mic into different positions in relation to the top of the bass. Griffin's FOH mix is boosted by the 4021, which is also fixed to Patitucci's bass.
"I've been working for years to get a natural live sound that is closer to the acoustic sound of my instrument," says Patitucci. "I love my DPA mics. The tone quality is very natural, even through my amplifier. It also enables me to play pizzicato or arco without ever having to change the tone controls on my amplifier.
"Rob and I also felt these mics would be the best for a live concert situation, as it's critical to have as much signal from the bass as possible with limited leakage from the other instruments on the stage."
Having completed a European tour with the Wayne Shorter Quartet in November, Patitucci returns to the US for a number of December dates including a week at the Lincoln Centre's Dizzy's Club, New York, with pianist and musical director Arturo O'Farill, concluding with the Edward Simon trio at New York's Jazz Standard, 17-19 December.
Patitucci has been working with the Wayne Shorter Quartet since 2000, and has performed with countless musicians, both live and in the studio, including Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, Joshua Redman, Queen Latifah and Carly Simon as well as with his own Patitucci Quartet and with film composers Ry Cooder, John Williams and Henry Mancini. He has held several academic posts and is currently a Full Tenured Professor of Jazz Studies at City College, New York.
(Jim Evans)
