Artist Biography by: Rocco Ventrella
A native south of Italy, Rocco Ventrella grew up in Bari. He began studying saxophone privately and after one year, enrolled into the Conservatory to study the clarinet. Immediately after the Conservatory, Rocco resumed to self-study the saxophone by also participating in various clinics of jazz music with famous musicians like David Liebman, Michael Brecker and Bob Mintzer.
Rocco began to play in small jazz groups at numerous jazz clubs and at the same time he studied piano and began to work in the studio recordings "Crescendo" and "Sorriso" (ex C&M) of Bari. In 1983, Rocco played in the Big Band "J.S.O." of P. Lepore of Bari, where he appeared with an impressive and various list of artists such as: Lee Konitz, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Paolo Fresu, Enrico Rava, Tullio De Piscopo, Ernie Wilkins, Art Farmer, Maurizio Giammarco, Gianni Basso, Tony Scott, Dizzy Gillespie, Marcello Rosa, Patrizia Conte, Mario Rosini, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Rossana Casale, Dusko Goykovic, Bob Mintzer and many others. In 1989 until 1992, he served as the saxophone player for the famous italian singer Fred Bongusto, where he had the occasion to play in Brasil, Argentina, Venezuela and others.
Moreover, Rocco appeared on numerous TV shows such as "Live in Teatro Greco of Taormina RAI1, "Viva Naples" RAI2, "Bellezze al bagno" MEDIASET, "Ricomincio da 2" with Raffaella Carrà RAI1, "Omaggio a Joao Gilberto" RAI1 with Gianni Minà. In 1993, Rocco moved in Boston, where his friend Emilio Lyons "The Doctor's Sax" introduced him to players like Ricky Ford, Greg Abate, Fred Lipsius, Richard Elliot and others.
In 1994, he returned to Italy with the song "Graça' s song" and won the "Italian Homemix" competition of the review European Musician and with Yamaha's collaboration. In 1998, Rocco began to love Smooth Jazz music and began to record some promotionals records. Since that time, he has recorded, arranged and product the Cd "Tribute to Grover Washington, Jr." Currently, Rocco plays with the Patrizia Conte Group; with Big Band "J.S.O." and is leader of the "Tribute to Grover Group".
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