Pino Zortea (*1995) is a Swiss bassist, composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

 

Currently, he is working on his new project "Bicycle Fantasies." The music is a blend of pop and jazz, where Pino combines his own songwriting approach with the playing of a five-string acoustic bass. "Bicycle Fantasies" has been performing live since October 2022 and has already played nearly 30 concerts in Switzerland and Germany. The first completed production, "Queen of Lies," will be released in the summer of 2024. Initially, Francesca Gaza (piano & vocals) and Pino Zortea (bass & vocals) performed as a duo. However, since January 2024, connected with their largest tour yet, "Bicycle Fantasies" also performs as a quartet with Marton Juhasz (percussion) and Yero Richard (guitar & vocals).

 

In the project "Pino Zortea Jazzkarussell,” Pino's sonic conception of the electric bass in jazz is expressed. Jorge Rossy aptly describes his playing: "Every note Pino plays is full of beauty and meaning. The same goes for the pauses between his musical phrases. There are no wasted moments: His sonic imagination is highly developed, clear, and poetic. He has a very unique sound on the electric bass. His tone is as nuanced, warm, and human as an acoustic instrument in the hands of a virtuoso." The band, consisting of Niculin Janett (saxophone), Joscha Schraff (piano), Pino Zortea (electric bass), and Marton Juhasz (drums), released their debut album "Child's Play" in 2020 and will release their second album "Tragedy or Comedy?" in the fall of 2024.

 

Pino is also the author and composer, along with Tim Hüllstrung, of the illustrated music audiobook "Lukas & Wale,” which introduces children and families to the diversity and playfulness of jazz in an appropriate way. Currently, the program is being performed live at various primary schools in Zurich and Aargau in collaboration with "Raum für Kultur" and "Kultur Stadt Zürich." As a sideman, Pino plays electric bass in various formations such as the post-rock group Trois Imaginaires, the beat-maker Melodiesinfonie, the singer-songwriter Tim Hüllstrung, and many others, regularly leading to live performances in Switzerland and Europe as well as numerous album releases. As one of the hosts of the weekly Jazzbaragge jam session at Moods, he has been actively involved in the Zurich jazz scene for five years.

 

Pino began playing the piano at the age of seven and later acquired skills on the electric bass. At the age of 16, he studied concurrently with high school at the Zurich University of the Arts, where he completed his bachelor's degree in 2016. He then spent several extended stays in New York, attending sessions and concerts. In 2020, he completed his master's degree at Jazzcampus Basel, where he studied with, among others, Larry Grenadier, Guillermo Klein, and Aydin Esen.

​