Rocco Ends First Act With First-Rate Music

The idea that a jazz club could flourish in the heart of Bel-Air--at the top of Beverly Glen, no less--seemed a remarkably quixotic notion 2 1/2 years ago when Rocco opened its cozy restaurant and jazz bar.

And the prospects seemed even more questionable when one became aware that the owner, Rocco Somazzi, was--at the time--a 27-year-old Swiss Italian with very little experience in the restaurant business.

But Rocco and his club, finding their way slowly, became appealing to both performers and audiences. And, despite the difficulties that face every jazz venue, it brought a dedicated crowd and a continuing flow of appealing music.

Perhaps most important, the programming policy was far-reaching--from John Pisano’s mainstream Monday night guitar programs and occasional spotlight appearances by players such as Cedar Walton to edgier, but infinitely appealing, new music from artists such as Andy Milne and James Carney.

The financial uncertainties of the jazz business, however, made it difficult to sustain a room in an area of upscale real estate. And Rocco’s run in Bel-Air came to an end Saturday night as Somazzi made plans to move his club--without sacrificing either its ambience or its programming--to another location (still undetermined, but projected to open in the spring).

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The closing of his jazz room’s “first act,” as Somazzi described it, was celebrated in joyous musical fashion with an all-star jam session. The club’s music director, Matt Piper, assembled a solid rhythm section--pianist Greg Kurstin, bassist Tony Dumas and drummer Kendall Kay--and opened the stage to a stream of players eager to offer their musical contributions to the mixed emotions of the evening.

The results--so characteristic of jazz’s capacity to express a rich range of emotions--were celebratory, poignant and hopeful.

Among the many players who took the stage as the party stretched into the early morning hours were pianists Alan Pasqua and Theo Saunders, trumpeter Sal Marquez, tenor saxophonists Chuck Manning and Bob Sheppard and guitarist Ron Anthony.

The music ran the gamut from blues to standards, and the playing was first-rate.

And why not? If the too-brief “first act” of Rocco in Bel-Air confirmed anything, it was that Los Angeles is overflowing with superb jazz artists, all worthy of attention.

And it’s a fair bet that Rocco’s second act, once it begins, will be equally illuminating.