Gene Torres was born and raised in Brooklyn NY. Originally from Fort Greene, now residing in Bayridge. Gene picked up the bass at age fifteen and has not put it down since. He started out playing R&B (Motown, Stax, Atlantic, etc.) then moved on to funk (James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Earth, Wind and Fire, etc). The first group that he played with was called Paranoid. Paranoid was awarded the third best band in Brooklyn. At that time most of the bands had horns and it was no exception not to.
Paranoid stayed together for about Six years, which Gene was a part of for five years. After leaving, Gene started freelancing and getting exposed to many styles of music. The majority of the musicians he played with were much older and more experienced, therefore, they were like mentors to him. Gene needed to bring his musicianship to a higher level. Jazz music was challenging for him and he felt it was like speaking another language. After many bumps and bruises along the way, Jazz started to make sense to him. Still, formal training was necessary. Gene studied at NYC music schools: Jazz mobile, Brooklyn Conservatory Of Music, The Muse & Lynn Oliver’s. In addition to studying at these schools, Gene felt that private lessons would help him better reach his musical goals, thus started to receive training from instructors such as Bob Willams, Ritchie Hart, Ken Hatfield, Charlie Banacos (correspondence course) and Paul Caputo (whom he’s still studying with today).
Gene’s first major recording was playing on the James Mason, Rhythm Of Life album (1977). To this day its in the top 100 in England and is a collectors item. It started a whole music revolution (Acid Jazz) in England with Sade and a wide variety of other English groups. Today, Gene at any given day, can be playing from Hip-Hop to Bebop, with a little rock thrown in. Now not only playing bass, but writing, producing, music editing, music notation (Finale), teaching privately and in a school.
Some of the people Gene has had the pleasure of playing and or recording with runs the gamut of music styles, for example: Ben E. King, Public Enemy, Yousef Lateef, Chico O’Farrel’s Afro-Cuban Big band at Birdland. Ernie Marcelin of Taboo Combo, La Bamba and the Hubcaps, Andy Williams, Southside Johnny, The Mighty Sparrow’s Christmas Show at Brooklyn College, Ted Curson at the Blue Note Late Nite Jam Session, The Weather Girls, The Chiffons (at the Apollo Theatre), Chambers Brothers, Jonathan Butler, Tony Cedras (keyboardist with Paul Simon), Jennifer Holiday, Noo Voodoo, Mark Pender (of the Conan O’Brian Show, opening up for the BT Express). Fred Ho (Vampire Opera) Petey Pablo of Jive Records, Gucci Man (Me & You single), Danny Mixon, Ty Stephens, Pee Wee Ellis, Nat Adderley Jr, Richard Cummings, Bobbie Humphrey, Ronnie Laws, Winner Of the 2010 McDonalds Gospel Fest with The East Flatbush Ecumenical Choir.
Gene’s Endorsements :
* Walter Woods Amps
* Harry Kolbe Soundsmith
* Speaker cabinets
* Overwater Basses
