The V.I.P. Club

Biography

A native of the South of Italy, Rocco Ventrella grew up in Bari, and began playing saxophone at age fourteen, inspired by some jazz records his father had given to him... and that music hit home! ...fast forward to 1998... Rocco begins his love affair with Smooth Jazz music and starts to record some tracks to explore this new musical style. In 2005, Rocco recorded, arranged and produced the CD "Tribute To Grover Washington, Jr." in memory of the late, great saxophone player. This remarkable CD o...

A native of the South of Italy, Rocco Ventrella grew
up in Bari, and began playing saxophone at age
fourteen, inspired by some jazz records his father
had given to him... and that music hit home! ...fast
forward to 1998... Rocco begins his love affair with
Smooth Jazz music and starts to record some
tracks to explore this new musical style.
In 2005, Rocco recorded, arranged and produced
the CD "Tribute To Grover Washington, Jr." in
memory of the late, great saxophone player. This
remarkable CD originally contained only three tracks:
"Winelight", "Let It Flow", "Make Me A Memory",
("Mr. Grover" and "Come Morning" were added
in 2006) but it was instrumental in making Rocco
a household name on Smooth Jazz stations across
the Internet! Ventrella continued to create new
recordings featuring his own compositions, including
the soulful and haunting "I Receive Your Love".
The Tribute CD and "I Receive Your Love" brought
Rocco to the attention of American producer Bruce
Nazarian (Anita Baker, Millie Scott, The Automatix),
and an international alliance was born!
The product of that collaboration, a new CD called
"Give Me The Groove" is a unique global
collaboration, joining together Rocco Ventrella from
Italy, his longtime friend Renato Falaschi from
France, and producer/multiinstrumentalist
Bruce Nazarian from the USA in a smooth, yet funky
showcase for Rocco's performing and writing talents.
After hearing an early copy of the
CD, Jimi King, Smooth Jazz Programme Director
of www.SKY.fm named "Soulful Strut" as his Number
One Smooth Jazz Track of 2006 in the year-end
countdown, and placed two additional Rocco tracks
in the top 25 including "Alleria", and Rocco's soulful
reworking of "Feel Like Makin' Love". Since its
official release, this CD has taken internet radio by
storm!
"Give Me The Groove" CD obtained quotes from
George Duke, Dave Koz, Bob James, Chris
Standring.
November 2007 Rocco has been Pre-Nominated
for the 50° Grammy Award Contemporary Jazz Best
Album 2007.
The musical integrity, artistry, heart and soul of
saxophonist Rocco Ventrella
can soon be heard on the album "Give Me The
Groove" - his first official solo
recording in quite a while - "I've been so busy
fulfilling commitments to play or record for other
artists or broadcast clients, and recording a solo
album never entered my mind until recently. Over the past
few years, the desire to express myself entirily within my
own my personal musical universe has inflamed into a
burning passion...”.
January/February 2008 Rocco has been invited to give a
clinic/concert at Berklee College of Boston obtaining considerable
merits from Woodwind chair Bill Pierce. In this time in Boston,
Rocco played with great artists of Boston area like Sergio Bellotti,
Spajazzy,Tino D'Agostino, Frank Wilkins(WeJazzUp, Stevie
Wonder, Al Jarreau),Tim Ingles, Andre Hayward(Joshua Redman
Ensemble, Joe Lovano). These days Rocco touring continuosly
and giving Master Classes. “I love being able to work with young
students and help them improve.There’s no better feeling than
to help a player achieve their goal.”We believe Rocco Ventrella
to be a contemporary jazz artist of the new generation who is
without equal! Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.