Davide Pannozzo 4tet ft. Etienne Stadwijk, Will Lee & Shawn Pelton | Blues / Soul-Funk | IT/USA
Line-up
Davide Pannozzo | guitar, vocals
George Benson, Steve Jordan, Will Lee, David Garfield, Phil Palmer, Robben Ford, Oz Noy, Carl Verheyen, Clifford Carter, Davide Rossi
Etienne Stadwijk | keyboards
Paul Simon, Maxwell, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, Harry Belafonte, Nona Hendryx, KJ Denhert, Raul Midón, Michael Olatuja, Alicia Olatuja
Will Lee | bass, vocals
David Letterman, The Brecker Brothers, The 24th Street Band, Horace Silver, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, George Benson, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Pat Metheny
Shawn Pelton | drums
Saturday Night Live, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, David Byrne, The Brecker Brothers
Style
Contemporary blues and New York soul-funk, shaped by a singing guitar voice, deep bass pocket, harmonic keyboards, and studio-grade drums.
The quartet works around the pocket: clear riffs, compact instrumental voices, disciplined improvisation, and a groove that stays physically readable.
Pannozzo’s writing becomes a high-definition live format where electric blues, jazz-fusion, and soulful song form remain connected.
Profile
Davide Pannozzo 4tet ft. Etienne Stadwijk, Will Lee & Shawn Pelton places Pannozzo’s guitar writing inside a distinctly New York rhythmic language. The sound moves between modern blues, soul-funk, and jazz-fusion: the guitar carries the melodic narrative, Stadwijk widens the harmonic frame through keyboards and counterlines, Lee turns bass into both propulsion and song, and Pelton locks the band with a dry, elastic studio-band pocket. This is not a project built on résumé display, but on balance: song forms are clear, improvisation stays conversational, dynamics breathe, and every player leaves space for the collective attack. The result is a compact live unit with the authority of major session musicians and the directness of a band that can make blues feel current without nostalgia.
Details
Davide Pannozzo | guitar, vocals. Leader of the project, Pannozzo brings a vocal guitar tone rooted in blues and filtered through jazz harmony, controlled attack, and melodic phrasing. Sources document collaborations with George Benson, Steve Jordan, Will Lee, David Garfield, Phil Palmer, Robben Ford, Oz Noy, and Carl Verheyen; Rock & Blues Muse also notes the Emergenza European Acoustic Festival 2009 and Groove Master Award 2010. Will Lee wrote in 2017 that, when hearing Pannozzo’s music, “there is something special going on.”
Etienne Stadwijk | keyboards. Stadwijk functions as the harmonic architect of the quartet: piano, keyboards, voicings, pads, and counterlines extend the guitar while keeping the groove open. A New York-based Berklee graduate, he is documented with Paul Simon, Maxwell, Marcus Miller, Richard Bona, Harry Belafonte, Nona Hendryx, and Michael Olatuja. London Jazz News described Richard Bona’s band with Stadwijk as “very tight,” highlighting “very nice solos.”
Will Lee | bass, vocals. Lee is the melodic and rhythmic center of the band: elastic lines, studio timing, backing vocals, and a feel that makes the bass both foundation and hook. LA Phil documents his work with Dreams, Horace Silver, The Brecker Brothers, The 24th Street Band, the David Letterman house bands, and more than 1,700 studio dates with artists including Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Billy Joel, Pat Metheny, James Brown, and Paul McCartney. In this quartet he supplies authority, song sense, and funk architecture.
Shawn Pelton | drums. Pelton is the dynamic engine: controlled backbeat, ghost notes, session precision, and the ability to keep blues, funk, and fusion loose without letting the pocket blur. Remo and International Musician document his long-running role with Saturday Night Live and recordings with Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, David Byrne, Pink, and The Brecker Brothers. His method is summarized by his own line: “the harder you work, the luckier you can be.”
Discography
Davide Pannozzo: Born Electric, A Portrait of Jimi Hendrix, Unconditional Love, Room for Joy; singles and recent releases include Be Blessed, Keep On Loving You, Love Is a Simple Thing, Without You, Once Again, Shufflin’ NYC, Christmas In New York, and The Subway Song. Unconditional Love is documented as a New York album produced by Steve Jordan and Will Lee, with contributions from Shawn Pelton and other scene musicians.
Etienne Stadwijk: Then Why?! as a single under his own name; official credits connected with Michael Olatuja’s Lagos Pepper Soup, Alicia and Michael Olatuja’s Olatuja, and Jonah David’s Waltz for Eli include Fender Rhodes, organ, keyboards, and writing. His documented discography crosses jazz, soul, gospel, world music, and contemporary vocal production.
Will Lee: OH! and Love, Gratitude & Other Distractions as solo projects; albums with The 24th Street Band including The 24th Street Band, Bokutachi, and Share Your Dreams; official discography and biographical sources also place him with Dreams, The Brecker Brothers, Horace Silver, George Benson, Chaka Khan, Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Pat Metheny, James Brown, and a long list of studio recordings.
Shawn Pelton: selected official and documented work as session drummer and band member includes Saturday Night Live, The Brecker Brothers, Shawn Colvin, Sheryl Crow, David Byrne, Rosanne Cash, William Bell, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan-related Hank Williams tribute recordings, and many Grammy-winning or high-profile studio projects. His discography is best understood as a first-call session and live-TV body of work rather than a leader catalogue.
Quotes
“There are very few artists these days that can inspire and are filled with inspiration and great ideas, Davide Pannozzo is one of them. When you first hear his music, you know there is something special going on…” — Will Lee; bassist and producer, quoted in Music Republic Magazine’s review of Unconditional Love; Music Republic Magazine; 2017-10-19; https://musicrepublicmagazine.com/2017/10/davide-pannozzo-unconditional-love-unconditional-love-global-publishing-19th-october-2017/
“Tone just drips from Davide’s fingers.” — Carl Verheyen; guitarist and session musician, quoted in Music Republic Magazine’s review of Unconditional Love; Music Republic Magazine; 2017-10-19; https://musicrepublicmagazine.com/2017/10/davide-pannozzo-unconditional-love-unconditional-love-global-publishing-19th-october-2017/
“As soon as the Beatles showed up on the Ed Sullivan Show, I knew what I wanted to do.” — Will Lee; interview by Jon Liebman; For Bass Players Only; 2010-05-31; https://forbassplayersonly.com/interview-will-lee/
“The band was very tight, with very nice solos from Greeblatt and Stadwjik.” — Maciek Pysz; live review of Richard Bona Group; London Jazz News; 2013-10-08; https://londonjazznews.com/2013/10/08/review-richard-bona-at-pizza-expres/
“Injustice of any kind is something that affects me deeply on many levels.” — Etienne Stadwijk; statement on Then Why?!; BroadwayWorld; 2020-06-22; https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Multi-Instrumentalist-and-Producer-Etienne-Stadwijk-Releases-a-Powerful-Response-to-the-Current-Social-Climate-20200622
“They say the harder you work, the luckier you can be.” — Shawn Pelton; profile-interview The Ultimate Union Gig: Live from New York on a Saturday Night; International Musician; 2024-09-01; https://internationalmusician.org/shawn-pelton/
Reviews
Davide Pannozzo: Unconditional Love (Unconditional Love Global Publishing) 19th October 2017 — Music Republic Magazine; Simon Redley; 2017-10-19;
https://musicrepublicmagazine.com/2017/10/davide-pannozzo-unconditional-love-unconditional-love-global-publishing-19th-october-2017/
A 5/5 review presenting Unconditional Love as a New York-recorded album around blues, fusion, and soul feel, with Steve Jordan and Will Lee as producers/players. The article highlights Pannozzo’s tone, writing, and the presence of Will Lee and Shawn Pelton in the album sound.
Celebrated Guitarist Davide Pannozzo Releases New Single “Be Blessed” — Rock & Blues Muse; Martine Ehrenclou; 2022-07-07;
https://rockandbluesmuse.com/2022/07/07/celebrated-guitarist-davide-pannozzo-releases-new-single-be-blessed/
Article on Be Blessed, produced by Steve Jordan and featuring Will Lee on bass, Clifford Carter on keyboards, and Davide Rossi on strings. It also reconstructs Pannozzo’s path through awards, EmArcy/Universal releases, and international collaborations.
Review: Richard Bona at Pizza Expres — London Jazz News; Maciek Pysz; 2013-10-08;
https://londonjazznews.com/2013/10/08/review-richard-bona-at-pizza-expres/
Live review of Richard Bona’s quartet with Etienne Stadwijk on keyboards and piano. It praises the tightness of the band and Stadwijk’s solos, useful for positioning him as a keyboardist who can support groove and improvisation at the same time.
Will Lee talks life after Letterman — For Bass Players Only; Jon Liebman; 2021-10-25;
https://forbassplayersonly.com/will-lee/
Interview-article revisiting Will Lee’s career after the Late Show, with references to Horace Silver, The Brecker Brothers, Billy Cobham, David Bowie, James Brown, Robben Ford, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, and his solo work.
The Ultimate Union Gig: Live from New York on a Saturday Night — International Musician; IM; 2024-09-01;
https://internationalmusician.org/shawn-pelton/
Profile on Shawn Pelton and his role in the Saturday Night Live band, focused on discipline, versatility, live television pressure, and session-musician survival skills. It frames his drumming as a balance of flexibility, groove culture, and broadcast precision.
#269 Shawn Pelton- Drummer for SNL, Sheryl Crow, Session Great, and More! — Discussions in Percussion; Damon Grant; 2022-02-23;
https://www.discussionsinpercussion.com/home/2022/2/22/269-shawn-pelton-drummer-for-snl-sheryl-crow-john-eddie-and-more
Podcast-interview covering Pelton’s SNL work, session career, programming skills, Live From Daryl’s House, CBS Orchestra substitutions, and recordings with Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Billy Joel, David Byrne, and Grammy-winning albums.
Reviewed: Jonah David | Adrian Galante | Mingus — Jazz Journal; John White; 2025-06-11;
https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2025/06/11/reviewed-jonah-david-adrian-galante-mingus/
Review that includes Jonah David’s Waltz for Eli, a project documenting Etienne Stadwijk on keyboards and in the writing credits. It helps support his profile as a harmonic and textural player in contemporary jazz contexts.
