José Pienasola (also known as Pierre Pienasola and Pie Pienasola) was born on January 13, 1951, in São Roque, São Paulo, Brazil. He began formal classical studies in 1964 at the Carlos Gomes Conservatory in São Paulo.

By 1965 he was already recording and touring Japan and Europe with the celebrated Brazilian jazz group Acaru. In 1968 he joined the Dick Farney Quartet — one of the most popular ensembles of the bossa nova era — and toured the world.

Throughout the decades he has shared stages and studios with an extraordinary list of musicians including Jeff Stout, Garrison Fewell, Helio Alves, Portinho, Duduka da Fonseca, Johnny Alf, Peri Ribeiro, Francis Hime, Jair Rodrigues, Marco Pereira, and many others (including family member Vini Pienasola).

In 1992 he received a full professional scholarship to Berklee College of Music and moved to Boston, where he continued performing at Scullers Jazz Club, Zinc Bar, the Hilton, Park Plaza, and numerous other venues while remaining deeply connected to Brazilian music.