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PatrickBettison
Bio
Patrick Bettison was born in England and raised in Australia. Completely self-taught, he started playing the bass when he was 8 years old. He began writing music at the age of 13 and working professionally as a musician at 16, playing bass, piano, and guitar.
After graduating from high school, Patrick moved to Glasgow, Scotland, where he began playing jazz with multi-instrumentalist Bobby Wishart. Eighteen months later, he moved to London to further his jazz education. During the eight years he spent on the London jazz scene, he played with Tim Whitehead, Jim Mullen, Julian Arguelles, Steve Arguelles, Django Bates, Gary Husband and many other British jazz musicians. He recorded and toured the US extensively with Acoustic Alchemy as bassist/musical director.
Patrick soon tired of the dreary London weather and moved to Tampa, Florida. In Florida, he played extensively with Kenny Drew, Jr. He also played with Brazilian pianist, Manfredo Fest. During this time, he started playing the chromatic harmonica.
Florida is famous for its Cuban influences. Living there gave Patrick the perfect opportunity to explore Cuban music. He played with veteran percussionist for Al Di Meola, Gumbi Ortiz. Ortiz taught Patrick about traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms.
When talking about Patrick in an interview for a local paper Ortiz said, “He´s a bass player, but he’s not just a bass player. He´s probably the best musician in town, period. His music transcends the bass. He’s just musical…. He´s amazing. And he´s white! He´s from England, but he´s got good teeth and everything. He´s a great human being. Ask anybody, they´ll agree with me, unless they´re deaf.”
Patrick’s music is a reflection of his diverse musical background. He blends jazz with Brazilian and Afro-Cuban influences to create a dynamic and unique sound. His music can be fun and upbeat while maintaining a human vulnerability that touches listeners.
When Gary Husband heard Patrick’s latest CD he said, “You just have this really special something that always moved me–most rare. It’s the musician in you, and what you say on that bass is the result of that. It’s very, very special.”