Joseph Lucian Roccisano (October 15, 1939 in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

– November 9, 1997) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

saxophonist and arranger.

Career

Roccisano received his bachelor's degree in

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origina ...

from SUNY-Potsdam in 1963. In 1964 he played in the

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

orchestra under

Sam Donahue Samuel Koontz Donahue (March 18, 1918 – March 22, 1974) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, and musical arranger. He performed with Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. Biography Donahue ...

, then moved to Los Angeles, where he played with

Don Ellis Donald Johnson Ellis (July 25, 1934 – December 17, 1978) was an American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer, and bandleader. He is best known for his extensive musical experimentation, particularly in the area of time signatures. Later in his lif ...

(1966–68),

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

(1967-68),

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

Lew Tabackin Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s. Biography Tabackin started learning flute at age 1 ...

Toshiko Akiyoshi is a Japanese–American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Akiyoshi received fourteen Grammy Award nominations and was the first woman to win Best Arranger and Composer awards in ''Down Beat'' magazine's annual Readers' Poll. ...

Terry Gibbs Terry Gibbs (born Julius Gubenko; October 13, 1924) is an American jazz vibraphonist and band leader. He has performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Chubby Jackson,Theroux, Gary"Gibbs, Terry".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. Re ...

Don Menza Don Menza (born April 22, 1936) is an American jazz saxophonist. Career Menza was born in Buffalo, New York. After serving in the U.S. Army, he was part of the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra from 1960 to 1962 and then briefly worked for Stan Kento ...

, Bill Holman, and Don Rader. He assembled the 15-piece ensemble Rocbop in 1976 and played in

the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut is an American big band jazz ensemble, named after the 1977 album ''Juggernaut'' (Concord Jazz) by Frank Capp and Nat Pierce. The group was known equivalently as the Capp-Pierce Orchestra and the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut ...

in 1981. He later formed his own big band, the Joe Roccisano Orchestra, which released two albums during the 1990s. The musicians joining him in this band included Bill Charlap, Bud Burridge, Jack Stuckey,

Franck Amsallem Franck Amsallem is a French-American jazz pianist, arranger, composer, singer and educator. He was born in 1961 in Oran, French Algeria, but grew up in Nice, France. Early years Amsallem was born in Oran (Algeria) to Elie Amsallem (1922-2019) a ...

James E. Pugh James Edward Pugh (born November 12, 1950) is an American trombonist and composer. He was a trombonist with Woody Herman (1972–1976) and briefly with Chick Corea before concentrating on session work. Early life Pugh was born in Butler, Pennsy ...

, John Basile, Ken Hitchcock,

Lou Marini Louis William Marini Jr. (born May 13, 1945), known as "Blue Lou" Marini, is an American saxophonist, arranger, and composer. He is best known for his work in jazz, rock, blues, and soul music, as well as his association with The Blues Brothers ...

Matt Finders Matt Finders (born February 12, 1960) is an American trombonist based in Southern California. A former member of The Tonight Show Band, he has played with various big bands and in major musical productions on Broadway. Though Finders has worked i ...

, Robert Millikan, Scott Lee, Terry Clarke,

Tim Ries Timothy M. Ries (born 15 August 1959) is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate/conservatory level. Ries is in his year as a professor of jazz studies at the University of Toronto. His un ...

Tom Harrell Tom Harrell (born June 16, 1946) is an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and arranger. Voted Trumpeter of the Year of 2018 by ''Jazz Journalists Association'', Harrell has won awards and grants throughout his career, including mul ...

Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to: * Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician * Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player * Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...

, and

Greg Gisbert Gregory Lyle Gisbert (born February 2, 1966 in Mobile, Alabama) is an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhornist.Gary W. Kennedy, ''"Greg Gisbert''. '' Grove Jazz'' online Early years and school Gisbert played drums with his father as a chil ...

. Roccisano was an arranger for with Ellis, Bellson,

Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) a ...

, and

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

. He scored the tune "Green Earrings" on the 1978 Herman album ''Chick, Donald, Walter, and Woodrow'' and was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for the arrangement. He composed "Tenors of the Time", a tune recorded by

Pete Christlieb Pete Christlieb (born February 16, 1945) is an American jazz bebop, West Coast jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist. Biography Christlieb was born in Los Angeles, California, United States, and is the son of bassoonist Don Christlieb. Christlieb ...

and

Warne Marsh Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...

Discography

As leader

* ''The Shape I'm In'' (Landmark, 1993) * '' Leave Your Mind Behind'' (Landmark, 1995) * ''Nonet'' (Double-Time, 1998)

As sideman

With

* ''Don't Stop Now'' (Bosco, 1984) * ''Louie Bellson and His Jazz Orchestra'' (MusicMasters, 1987) * ''Hot'' (MusicMasters, 1988) * ''East Side Suite'' (MusicMasters, 1989) * ''Airmail Special'' (MusicMasters, 1990) * ''Live from New York'' (Telarc, 1994) With

* ''Electric Bath'' (Columbia, 1967) * ''Live in 3 2-3/4 Time'' (Pacific Jazz, 1966) * ''Shock Treatment'' (Columbia, 1968) With others *

, ''Long Yellow Road'' (RCA, 1975) *

Bob Crewe Robert Stanley Crewe (November 12, 1930 – September 11, 2014) was an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, and record producer. He was known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for the Four Season ...

, ''Street Talk'' (Elektra, 1976) * The Capp-Pierce Orchestra, ''Juggernaut Strikes Again!'' (Concord Jazz, 1982) *

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer is a Grammy award–winning vocal group founded in 1969 that has explored a cappella, vocalese, swing, standards, Brazilian jazz, rhythm and blues, and pop music. There have been two editions of the Manhattan Transfer, ...

, ''Pastiche'' (Atlantic, 1978) *

Walter Murphy Walter Anthony Murphy Jr. (born December 19, 1952) is an American composer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for the instrumental " A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony which top ...

, ''Discosymphony'' (New York, 1979) * David Oliver, ''Rain Fire'' (Mercury, 1979) *

Harry Partch Harry Partch (June 24, 1901 – September 3, 1974) was an American composer, music theorist, and creator of unique musical instruments. He composed using scales of unequal intervals in just intonation, and was one of the first 20th-century com ...

, ''Delusion of the Fury'' (Innova/Sony, 1999) * Don Rader, ''Polluted Tears'' (DRM, 1973)

References

*"Joe Roccisano". '' The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz''. *

Allmusic discography AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roccisano, Joe 1939 births 1997 deaths American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists Jazz musicians from Massachusetts Landmark Records artists Muse Records artists 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut members Double-Time Records artists