Gene Torres, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Originally from Fort Greene, now residing in Bayridge. Picked up the bass at 15 years old and has not put it down since. 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 1st group 
that Gene played with was called Paranoid. Paranoid was awarded the 3rd best band in Brooklyn. At that time most of the bands had horns and we were no exception. 
Paranoid stayed together for about 6 years, which Gene was a part of for 5. After leaving, Gene started freelancing and getting exposed to many styles of music. The majority of musicians Gene was playing with was much older so they were like mentors to Gene. The 1st order was to learn Jazz, which at the time was like speaking another language. After many bumps and bruises along the way Jazz started to make sense. Still though, formal training needed to be had, so at that time Jazz Mobile was one option, another was Lynn Oliver’s. Still, a private lesson was another thing that had to be done so studying with Bob Willams, Ritchie Hart, Ken Hatfield, Charlie Banacos (correspondence course) and Paul Caputo and which he’s still studying with Paul up to this day...
Gene’s 1st major recording was playing on the James Mason, Rhythm of Life, album (1977). To this day it’s in the top 100 in England and it’s a collectors item. It started a whole music revolution (Acid Jazz) in England with Sade and a bunch 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, sheet music(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, Al Hibbler, Rahn Burton, Public Enemy,  Yousef Lateef,  Chico O’Farrel’s Afro\Cuban Big band at Birdland.  Ernie Marcelin of Taboo Combo, La Bamba, and the Hubcaps, Southside Johnny, Ted Curson – Blue Note \ Late Nite Jam Session, The Weather Girls, The Chiffons at The Apollo Theatre, Chambers Brothers, Jonathan Butler, Hannes DeKassian Trio, Moon Pool, Tony Cedras (Keyboardist with Paul Simon), Jennifer Holiday, Noo Voodoo,  Mark Pender (of the Conan O’Brian show, opening up for the BT Express). The Big Apple Circus, David Dorfman Dance Company, Fred Ho (Vampire Opera) Petey Pablo of Jive Records, Gucci Man (Me & You single), Danny Mixon, Ty Stephens,  Pee Wee Ellis, Co\winner of the 2010 McDonalds GospelFest  Childrens Choir Contest. 
Gene’s endorsements are: Walter Woods Amps, Harry Kolbe Soundsmith Speaker Cabinets, Overwater Basses

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