Rocco John Group's Devotion perfectly balances straight and free jazz.By Christopher Cooke
Omaha, Nebraska – One of the most amazing discoveries I have made in the last few years has been Rocco John Iacovone. Saxophonist, bandleader of his self-titled group, educator, and student of jazz masters, Rocco John is a musician deserving much wider recognition.
The latest release from the Rocco John Group, Devotion, presents a potent mix of Mainstream & Avant Garde jazz. Devotion presents music strongly influenced by John Coltrane's spiritual message & the lessons Rocco John learned from studying with saxophone greats Sam Rivers and Lee Konitz. The result is a solid session that engages and challenges the listener, comprised of all originals.
Riffin' For Eric, Mischievous Mystic and Dreams are standalone gems from the disc which also contains the ambitious and inspired Devotion Suite. Iacovone, who leads the band on alto and soprano saxophones, is joined by Mike Irwin on trumpet, Aaron Keane on Bass and Dalius Naujokaitis on drums and percussion. For more information you may visit www.roccojohnmusic.com .
Last Call is featuring Devotion through the month of March and offers this interview to make you better acquainted with saxophonist/ bandleader Rocco John Iacovone. The interview was engineered by KIOS Recording Engineer Mike Hansen. Click on the interview link to listen.
Chris Cooke is the host of Last Call on KIOS-FM.