Pat Bianchi, selected as one of the top 10 Jazz Organists in the 2007 Downbeat Readers Poll, is the touted protégé of Joey DeFrancesco. It is said by Jazz Times Magazine that Pat is a strong new voice in the current wave of Hammond B3 organists.” He has established himself as one of the elite Jazz Organists of today, performing throughout the U.S. and Europe with a venerable who’s who list of greats including Lou Donaldson, George Benson, David “Fathead” Newman, Ralph Peterson Jr., Javon Jackson, Alvin Queen, Peter Bernstein, Byron Landham, Terell Stafford, Jesse Davis, Mark Whitfield, Sean Jones, Christian McBride and Tim Warfield. Bianchi, a native of Rochester, NY has performed extensively since the age of twelve. His formal studies include classical piano and theory at the preparatory department of The Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY) and earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree at The Berklee College of Music. (Boston, MA) One of Pat’s most important influences was Joey DeFrancesco and his Columbia Records release "Live at the Five Spot". Pat said: "After hearing that CD and listening to it non-stop, I knew I wanted to play the organ and it became my goal to figure out how to play it like him!” Years of continuous, intense study and his long time apprenticeship with DeFrancesco have paved the way for Bianchi to achieve many milestones in his career. While living in Denver, Pat released his first CD as a leader featuring guitarist Mark Whitfield and drummer Byron Landham. This impressive debut recording gained large amounts of attention on the airwaves across the U.S. appearing for over 8 consecutive weeks on the Jazz Week national radio charts and was voted by many Jazz radio stations as one of the top Jazz CD’s of 2006. “East Coast Roots”, distributed by the Jazzed Media record label, continues to receive consistent airplay and glowing reviews worldwide. Currently residing in New York City, Bianchi is involved in many projects and continues to propel his musical career forward. He maintains an active national and international touring schedule, both with his trio and as a sideman. In January 2008, Pat was invited to become a member of the Joey DeFrancesco Trio, playing both keyboards and organ alongside his mentor. In May 2008, Pat was a featured performer on saxophonist Tim Warfield’s latest recording. Tim’s Criss Cross release, “One For Shirley” is a tribute to the great Shirley Scott. While currently working on his second CD release (scheduled for 2009) Pat and has also partnered his talents with renowned drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. in paying tribute to the innovative jazz organist Larry Young. Bianchi co-leads “The Unity Project” with Peterson. Pat Bianchi is considered by not only his peers, but also his mentors as the next organist to make a mark in the world of jazz. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.