from Institute For Alien Research compilation "the beat sounds from way out" (volume five), released January 20, 2013
Rocco John studied privately with Lee Konitz. He and holds a BA and Master’s degree in Composition from Hunter College, where he studied under the direct disciples of Nadia Boulanger. He is the Founder and Artistic Director for COCA (Coalition of Creative Artists), an interdisciplinary, improvisational arts group based in NYC. In addition to composing and performing events with COCA, Rocco plays regularly in NYC with his trio-turned-quartet, the Rocco John Group. He spends each summer in Alaska playing original and straight-ahead jazz with his group ‘Rare Form”.

Rocco cut his teeth playing first Alto in Sam Rivers “Orchestral Explorations” at the Studio Rivbea during the “loft” years. He’s played with Karl Berger, Barry Atschul, the Jazz Composers Orchestra, Larry Grenadier and Phil Grenadier. His years of study with Lee Konitz, and training under Sam Rivers helped Rocco create a compositional and playing style that often reflects Lee’s emphasis on tasteful restraint combined with Sam’s sense of adventurous abstraction. Given his musical training, it is no surprise that Rocco’s music blurs the lines between “in” and “out” playing; creating a link between the two for the audience to follow. Audience participation is important to Rocco’s philosophy of sharing the sacred and universal aspect of music. He encourages his audience to be active listeners, and sometimes runs shows through COCA that encourage audience participation in multiple disciplines on a very tangible level.
In addition to performing and recording, Rocco is dedicated to the idea of strengthening the Jazz idiom by passing the music on to the next generation. To that end Rocco has spent twenty years teaching Jazz and Jazz History. Rocco frequently gives Jazz residencies with his band.
Rocco has three CD’s which feature The Rocco John Group. The first one is called “Miles To Go”, an Avant-Garde collection of original and standard tunes. In 2006 Rocco expanded his trio to a quartet. This new Rocco John Group recorded a CD late in 2006 called “Don’t wait too Long…”comprised entirely of original tunes by Rocco. In 2008 they released another all original CD “DEVOTION”, which, like the others has met with acclaim from critics.

There are also Three CD’s with RARE FORM. RARE FORM is Rocco’s duo with Murray Nash (composition/keyboard/bass), his collaborator in Alaska. All the CD’s: “Live at the Fairview” and “Please Seat Yourself” and “Conversation in 3”are freewheeling interpretations of standards and originals. They have a fourth CD,
“Lose Yer Blues” being released in June of 2009.

All of Rocco’s CDs can be heard at cdbaby.com.