GENT JAZZ Festival 2018 – Sal La Rocca 4tet (Garden Stage)

Who? Sal La Rocca on the double bass with Jeroen van Herzeele (saxophone), Lieven Venken (drums) en Pascal Mohy (piano) from Belgium.

Why? Because Sal La Rocca is without a doubt one of Belgium’s best contrabass players and therefore also the most requested. His music is liberating and ventures into free jazz without losing his groove. The spirit of Coltrane is omnipresent in La Rocca’s oeuvre.

How do you know him? As bass player of the pop rock group Vaya Con Dios, with whom he went on European and world tours from 2007 onwards. He also played side by side with, among others, Toots Thielemans, Steve Grossman, Lee Konitz and Sheila Jordan.

Listen to some now? Watch the quartet’s live set on Jazzzolder and immerse yourself in La Rocca’s cover of Thelonious Monk’s “Evidence”.

About : The Bassist Sal La Rocca takes us into a personal world of modern jazz. He collaborates with a guitarist with an approach to the instrument that combines energy, rock sounds and jazz improvisations. The top-flight musicians in this group take us on a journey of harmony and rhythm in perfect balance. Their music is light and blends the past and the present. There’s swing, groove, strength and tenderness.

(…) I like Sal’s composing; it give the other musicians some great moments to work on and show what they can do without being over stated. On the IGLOO Label this is well deserved 5 star album.” – Brian Soundy (UK Jazz Radio & the Jazz Critic).