After A Stint With Rock Playing Guitar, At Age 23, Sal La Rocca Discovers Jazz In The Early 80's And Switches To Double Bass Which He Intensively Explores On His Own, Taking As A Model Paul Chambers.
Thereafter He Is Regularly Seen Aside Jacques Pelzer. Establishing Himself As A Bass Player, A Position Rather Empty At That Time In Liege, He Plays With The Musicians Of The Region: Robert Jeanne, Robert Grahame, Steve Houben, Pierre Vaiana...
It Is Aside Jacques Pelzer That He Meets And Plays With Jon Eardley.
1986, He Works With French Pianist Michel Graillier (Fr.)And American Drummer Leo Mitchell (Us).
Steve Grossman (T.Sax) Hires Him, Together With Georges Brown (Drs), In 1987, For A Tour In The Benelux And South Of France, To Appear In The Major Festivals.
In 1988, He Is Hired For A 6 Weeks Tour In Singapore As A Member Of The Steve Houben (A.Sax) Band, With Jacques Pirotton (Gt) And Rick Hollander (Drs) To Play At The “Jazz Club” There. That Same Year He Tours Germany With John Thomas (Gt),Us.
- Sal Is Invited To Replace Riccardo Del Fra (Bass) Within An International Quintet With Ack Van Rooyen (Tp), At The Montreux Festival Playing With The Mikesch Van Grummer (P) Quintet, Christopher Hirson
- In 1990, He Plays With Sal Nistico (T.Sax), Jacques Pelzer (A.Sax) And Mal Waldron (P) At Gouvy Jazz Festival.
- In 1991, Member Of “Raffaela Renzulli (Voc.) Ensemble” With Charlie Mariano (A.Sax).
- 1994, Tours With Pierre Vaiana (S.Sax), Salvatore Bonafede (P) And Dre Pallemaerts (Drs) As Well As With Harold Land (T.Sax), Mike Del Ferro (P) And Hans Van Oosterhout (Drs). - Participated In The Liege Festival With Dave Turner (A.Sax), Vic Vogel (P) And Felix Simtaine (Drs), Their Appearance Was Recorded By Belgian Television.
- 1995, Concerts In France And Belgium With Lee Konitz (A.Sax), Jean-Francois Prins (Gt) And Bruno Castellucci (Drs), And A Live Cd.
- Participation In The Montreal Festival With The Trio Of Nathalie Loriers (P).
- 96, A Week Tour In Syria And Jordan, With Nathalie Loriers Trio At The Occasion Of The 1st Euro-Arab Jazz Festival “Jazz Caravan '96”, Followed With A Tour, With Lee Konitz (A.Sax), Bruno Castellucci (Drs) Jf Prins (Gt) And Judy Niemack (Voc.) In Corsica.
- He Joins The Bruno Castellucci Stringtet With Erwin Vann (T.Sax), Michel Herr Or Eric Legnini (P) And A String Quartet. (1 Cd)
- 97 With Nathalie Loriers Trio In Quebec, With Philip Catherine As Guest, With Ivan Paduart (P) Quartet, Guest Toots Thielemans,
- 1999, Live Cd With Toots Thielemans (Palais Des Congres)
- 2000, Irland, Romania, Benelux.... With, Toots Thielemans “Quartet”
- 2001, Cd Recording With Anne Ducros (Voc.) “Quintet” With Gordon Beck (P) Didier Lockwood (V., Tp.) - Bruno Castellucci (Dr)
- 2002-2003, Benelux Tour With : Steve Houben (A.S.) / Gordon Beck (P).
- 2003 : Few Concerts With Philip Catherine “Trio”
- International Tour With : Anne Ducros “Quartet”
- Cd Rec. “Close Your Eyes” Anne Ducros + Guest
-On Tour With Nathalie Loriers “Trio” (Japan , Brazil)
- As A Leader, Sal La Rocca Presents His Own Quintet, Of Which A First Album Came Out In 2003, Titled “Latinea”.
- 2004, Emirate Tour With : Stanley Jordan (Gt) “Trio” - Bobby Durham (Drs)
- 2005, Cd Recording With Anne Ducros “Piano, Piano” / Personnel : Chick Corea - Jacky Terrasson - Enrico Pieranunzi - Rene Urtreger... + Guest : Bob Franceschini (T.Sax)
- On Tour With : Anne Ducros “Quartet” : Olivier Hutman (P), H. Van Oosterhout (Drs) + Guests : Randy Brecker (Tp) - Bob Franceschini (T.Sax) - Etc...
- Italy Tour With Philip Catherine / Nathalie Loriers “Quartet” And With Philip Catherine “Trio” (Tunis, Bulgaria, France, Germany…)
- 2006, “Jazz A Liege” With Steve Houben “Trio” + Richie Beirach (P), (Recorded By Belgian Tv).
- He Is Now A Member Of Vaya Con Dios (Band) With Dani Klein, And A Live Dvd.
- 2007, International Tour With V.C.D....( Russia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Ect....)
- Cd Recording With : Olivier Hutman (Quartet) - Olivier Hutman (P), Jasques Schwarz-Bart (T.Sax), Hans Van Oosterhout (Drs).
- Cd Rec. April 2008 “Apres Un Reve” With : Julie Mossay/Gregory Houben
- 2 Concerts With Bob Moover “Quartet”: Bob Moover (A.Sax) Roni Ben Hur (Guit.) Steve Williams (Drums)
- 2010 2 Cd's (Comme On Est Venu + Bonus Live) With “Vaya Con Dios” Featuring: Dani Klein + European Tour
- 2011 Cd With “G.Houben/P.Pedron 5tet +Belgian Tour: G.Houben (Tp), P.Pedron (A.Sax), P.Mohy (P), Sal La Rocca (B), Rick Hollander (Drs)
Belgium & Lux. Tour With Denise King (Us) + Olivier Hutman “Trio” D.King (Voc), O.Hutman (P), S.La Rocca (B), H.Van Oosterhout (Drs)
Jazz A Liege Fest. With Jacques Schwarz-Bart The Quartet J. Schwarz-Bart (Ts), B.Trottignon, (P) S.La Rocca (B) L. Parker (Dms)
Steve Grossman (Us) Two Tenors Quintet At: “Dinant Jazz Night” Fest. S.Grossman (Ts), V.Pontrandolfo (Ts), N.Menci (P), S.La Rocca (B), S.De Krom (Dm)
___ Musicians With Whom Salvatore Played :_____
- John Ruocco, Gianni Basso, Harold Land, Jack Van Poll, Kris Defoort, Ali Ryerson, Paolo Radoni, John Engels, Michel Herr, Guy Cabay, Andre Ceccarelli, Ch. Hirson, Bert Joris, Jiggs Wigham,Steve Grossman, Nico Menci, Dave Turner, Michel Graillier,David Linx,Sheila Jordan,Deborah Brown, Mark Murphy,Sangoma Everest, Salvatore Bonafede, Lee Konitz, Ada Rovatti, Gordon Beck, Sangoma Everest, Anne Ducros, Olivier Hutman, Roni Ben-Hur Bob Moover, Stanley Jordan, Randy Brecker, Bob Franceschini, Richie Beirach, Scott Hamilton, Didier Lockwood, Tony Lakatos, Bobby Durham, Steve Williams, Dani Klein, Denise King, Jacques Schwarz-Bart, William Lecomte, Batiste Trotignon, Pierrick Pedron Etc...
Press Quotes:
Already a recognised sideman, Sal La Rocca has brought together a few long-standing friends in a surprising quintet: the Sal La Rocca quintet, featuring Bruno Castellucci, Jacques Pirotton, Peter Hertmans and Kris Goessens. The fruit of this encounter is the first album “Latinea”.
Sal La Rocca offers us new original compositions that are both colourful and generous, dipping us in an environment in which jazz is king. From his wide experience, Sal gave the record a cohesive group sound. Each musician finds room enough to express himself, with the various voices combining in a surprising result.
Awards:
“ Wednesday June 8, 2011 Nominees for the Sabam Jazz Awards 2011 are known Nominees for the Sabam Jazz Awards 2011 are known : Gino Lattuca (tp), Jacques Pirotton (gt), Fabrice Alleman (sax), SAL LA ROCCA (b) & Michel Hatzigeorgiou (b). The award will ne announced on July 16 2011 durig the Dinant Jazz Nights.”
Lundi D'Hortense - Jazz in Belgium
