Potenza (Italian: [poˈtɛntsa] ( listen)) is a city and comune in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata (former Lucania). It is the capital of the province of Potenza and the Basilicata region.

The city is the highest regional capital and one of the highest provincial capitals in Italy, overlooking the valley of the Basento river in the Apennine Mountains of Lucania, east of Salerno. Its territory is bounded by the comuni of Anzi, Avigliano, Brindisi Montagna, Picerno, Pietragalla, Pignola, Ruoti, Tito, and Vaglio Basilicata.

The first settlement of Potentia was probably located at a lower elevation than at present, some 10 km south of today's Potenza.

The Lucani of Potenza sided against Rome's enemies during the latter's wars against the Samnites and the Bruttii. Subjugated during the 4th century BC (later gaining the status of municipium), the Potentini rebelled after the Roman defeat at Cannae in 216 BC. However, the Battle of the Metaurus marked the end of any Carthaginian aspirations in Italy, and Potentia was reconquered by the Romans and reduced to the status of military colony.

Francis "Frank" Potenza (November 11, 1933 – August 23, 2011) was an American retired police officer for the New York City Police Department and former security guard. He later became a television actor and comic relief for the late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He appeared as Jimmy Kimmel's real-life Uncle Frank on the ABC show as a regular from 2003 until the year of his death, 2011.

Francis Potenza was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933. He served in the United States military during the Korean War. Potenza joined the New York Police Department (NYPD) following the war, serving as a beat cop in Lower Manhattan for twenty years. He reportedly made just six arrests during his two decades in the NYPD, believing that a lecture by the police delivered more benefits than a prison sentence.

He became a security guard and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, upon his retirement from the NYPD. He served inside Frank Sinatra's personal security detail and as bodyguard when Sinatra performed at Caesars Palace. He returned to New York City to take a security position at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.

John Pisano (born February 6, 1931) is a jazz guitarist born in Staten Island, New York.

John has accompanied in concert or recording some of music's biggest names, including Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Herb Alpert, Natalie Cole, Michael Franks, Diana Krall, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Joe Pass, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Billy Bean and Chico Hamilton and many more

Pisano wrote So, What's New which appeared as the B-side of Herb Alpert's hit single Flamingo in 1966

Oscar Pettiford (30 September 1922 – 8 September 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.

Pettiford was born at Okmulgee, Oklahoma; his mother was Choctaw and his father was half Cherokee and half African American. Like many people with African American and Native American ancestry, his Native heritage was not generally known except to a few close friends, such as David Amram.

He grew up playing in the family band in which he sang and danced before switching to piano at the age of 12 then to double bass when he was 14. He is quoted as say he did not like the way people were playing the bass so he developed his own way of playing it. Despite being admired by the likes of Milt Hinton at the age of 14, he gave up in 1941 as he did not believe he could make a living. Five months later, he once again met Milt, who persuaded him to return to music.

In 1942 he joined the Charlie Barnet band and in 1943 gained wider public attention after recording with Coleman Hawkins on his "The Man I Love." He also recorded with Earl Hines and Ben Webster around this time. He and Dizzy Gillespie led a bop group in 1943. In 1945 Pettiford went with Hawkins to California, where he appeared in The Crimson Canary, a mystery movie known for its jazz soundtrack, which also featured Josh White. He then worked with Duke Ellington from 1945 to 1948 and for Woody Herman in 1949 before working mainly as a leader in the 1950s.

Mundell Lowe (born April 21, 1922) is an American jazz guitarist.

Lowe was born in Laurel, Mississippi on 21 April 1922. In the 1930s he played country music and Dixieland jazz. He later played with big bands and orchestras, and on television in New York City. In the 1960s, Lowe composed music for films and television in New York City and Los Angeles. He has performed and/or recorded with Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Helen Humes, Roy Buchanan, Charles Mingus, Stan Getz, Doc Severinsen, Kai Winding, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Benny Carter, Herb Ellis, Tal Farlow, Barry Manilow, André Previn, Ray Brown, Kiri Te Kanawa, Tete Montoliu, Harry Belafonte and others. Lowe is a regular featured performer at the annual W. C. Handy Music Festival and a member of the W. C. Handy Jazz All-Stars.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s Mr. Lowe was also a well-respected teacher at Dick Grove Music Workshop, later the Grove School of Music, in Studio City, California, one of the top professional level music schools in the world. He taught guitar as well as film scoring.