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Peter Dragotta
Peter Dragotta is a composer, wind synthesist, brass instrumentalist, producer, and leader of the electro/creative music ensemble pharmacopia.
About Me
Peter Dragotta is a composer, wind synthesist, brass instrumentalist,
producer, and leader of the electro/creative music ensemble
pharmacopia. For over 20 years he has connected his jazz origins with
ambient, house, electronica and break beats, as well as elements from
hip hop, rock, pop, and classical music melding them into soundscapes
of deep intensity.
Before being an active musician/composer, Dragotta started his career
behind the scenes on the business side of the music industry starting
in 1984 promoting artists and bands like Tina Turner, Duran Duran,
Iron Maiden, and The Pet Shop Boys for Capitol-EMI. While there he
also worked at Blue Note Records in college radio promotions during
the 1985 re-launch of the label. He then moved over to Top 40 radio in
1986 as the Assistant Promotions Director and On-Air Personality at
New York City's Z-100. There he took advantage of his on-air
personality Party Patrol Pete and played trumpet and percussion at
station sponsored events with artists such as Gloria Estefan, The
Beach Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, and Harry Bellefonte.
Wanting to focus more on playing and performing his own improv based
music, in 1991 Dragotta left
the radio industry and formed the band The James Quintet with rockers
Robert Sharkey of Industrial Teepee on guitar and Claude Coleman Jr.
of Ween on drums. Joining them was Steven Decker on bass, and his
brother Chris Dragotta on alto sax. The James Quintet had a steady
running Thursday night gig at the 55 Bar in New York City from 1992 to
1993. Dragotta's music is heavily influenced by the creative jazz
spirit of Ornette Coleman, The Art Ensemble of Chicago and the 1970's
electric period of Miles Davis with the DJ culture of electronic and
ambient music.
Starting in 1995, Dragotta recorded what would be the first of many
albums under the ensemble name pharmacopia. The following year he
began distributing his music digitally as being one of the first
artists to sign up on the legendary (now defunct) net label MP3.com.
Currently, pharmacopia's music is distributed and licensed through the
net label Jamendo.com.
In 1999 he founded the digital advertising/marketing company called
ThingeeDigital. His company produces videos, animations, websites and
most importantly to him, music. Peter has composed and produced the
background music for various ad and promotional campaigns. Some of his
current clients include Novartis, Johnson and Johnson, Astra-Zeneca,
Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Hoffman La Roche, Wyeth, Grolsch, Wachovia,
Intel, US-Army, Range Rover, and Ashoka.
In 2008, Dragotta moved to New York City and returned to performing in
the city's creative music scene. He has since performed with Daniel
Carter, Demian Richardson, Dave Moss, Federico Ughi, Gunter Gruner,
Giuseppe Logan, Leon Gruenbaum, John Blum, Jeff Shurdut, Andres
Marino, Peter Scherr, Gene Moore, Thurston Moore, Gene Janas, Charles
Gale, John Tchicai, William Parker, Roy Campbell, Ras Moshe, and Matt
Lavelle to name a few.
In 2010, Dragotta joined as an artist and member of the board of
directors for the nonprofit organization Art For Arts producers of New
York City's Vision Festival.
In 2012, an opportunity to move to the city of Zhuhai in China came to
him. Peter had already played a successful experimental music tour in
China in 2011 with Hong Kong based bassist/guitarist Peter Scherr. For
a big move like this, Dragotta is very motivated in taking on new
challenges. Since moving to China, he has performed in Shanghai,
Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, and his home city of
Zhuhai with his own groups and as a sideman.
Living up to his reputation as a hard-working musician, composer,
producer and businessman, Dragotta often works with diverse projects
simultaneously.
My Jazz Story
I love jazz because it truly exposes a person's soul.