Artist description Rocco Priolo is a multi-instrumentalist composer whose approach to music is many-faceted. By blending live performance with fractally generated music and audio samples, he has created a sound and style that is his own. Though his music is difficult to pigeon-hole into a specific category, Electronic Contemporary Jazz, is an appropriate label for most compositions. Within that broad definition, there is an extremely mixed bag of progressive and symphonic electronica, smooth jazz, funk jazz, acid jazz, cool jazz, and jazz fusion.

Music Style Electronic Contemporary Jazz

Instruments Electric guitar, electric bass, keyboards, programming, audio sample editing

Albums 1) Images of 39th Street 2) Man on his Back

Press Reviews PitchWeekly June 15, 2000 Rocco Priolo Images of 39th Street by Andrew Miller On an album dedicated to "Kansas City's eclectic 39th Street area," Rocco Priolo, who grew up in the vicinity, paints instrumental portraits of such localized events as "Breakfast at Nichol's" and "Gillham Park Sunrise." Mixing warm synthesized backdrops with live instrumentation and an occasional sampled voice, Priolo sets the mood for such scenes, and, because his experience in the neighborhood has been positive, most of the tunes are extremely upbeat. Exceptions to the standard pace, on opposite ends of the spectrum, are "Highpockets" -- a slower, bluesier tune with moaning horns -- and "The Way She Walked," which is mildly funky and irrepressibly peppy. Although these Images are pleasant, they're also somewhat blurry, as only "The Walk Home From Gooch's" provides a musical storyline that's immediately easy to follow. (Judging by the scattershot percussion and yapping-dog sound effects on this track, this was quite an eventful stroll.) Still, after several listens, the connection between the song titles and the compositions begin to take shape and jazz fans, especially those who love horn solos, will definitely give this disc the necessary amount of spins.

Additional Info Like to read? My novel, The Journal of Renaldo Salazar, will be available through Barnes & Noble soon! More details later.

Location Raytown, MO. - USA

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